


You Caused My Heart to Drown

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abusive Relationship, Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, I started this thinking we'd get to the smut quickly, M/M, Slow Burn, Trust Issues, mention of past abusive relationship, not so sure about that anymore, past Farlan and Levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:33:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4564809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren was just a normal college student. He was studying to attend med school and got a summer job as a lifeguard. One day he stumbles upon two men having an argument at the water park. Enter Levi, who captures the attention of a certain brunette lifeguard. What neither of the two men know is that both their lives are about to become far more interesting due to a certain obsessive ex. Will Levi an Eren become more than just a mutual attraction, or will a certain person get in the way of a possible budding romance?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction and I'm super excited not only about where it's going, but to receive feedback as well! Please, please, PLEASE leave comments and let me know what you think/what I can improve on! If you'd like you can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music!

Eren walked into Titan Aquatic Center smiling, green eyes bright as usual. He’d always wanted to be a lifeguard and this summer he’d achieved that goal. Eren walked through the lifeguard station greeting his co-workers and friends. Connie, Sasha, Jean, Marco, Armin, Bertholt, Reiner, and Mikasa were all there. Their supervisor, Hannes, was busy setting up the daily rotation for the guards. Eren clocked in and busied himself in the back room by putting his belongings in one of the many lockers reserved for the employees. 

“All right everyone. Today is going to be a busy day as it’s a Saturday and the weather is supposed to be in the upper 90s, with a heat index of over 100 degrees. That means a lot of people are at the risk of experiencing heat exhaustion.” Hannes explained to the guards. “Make sure that each of you is staying hydrated and if you need a minute to jump in the water or get out the heat before your break, don’t be afraid to call for a roaming guard. Now, let’s go out and have a great day!”

Eren beamed as he grabbed a hip pack and guard tube and headed out to his favorite station in the park: the wave pool. What Eren actually enjoyed doing the most was going down one of the many slides that the park had, but he loved guarding the wave pool the most.

“Hey Eren!” Armin called, jogging to catch up with him as they made their way over to the pool.

“Morning Armin!” Eren greeted back as the blond caught up with him. “Ready for another great day at work?”

“Absolutely! I just hope we don’t have too many people that allow the heat to get to them out here.”

“I know. But I’m sure there’ll be nothing we haven’t dealt with before. It should be a pretty smooth day.” The two friends split apart and took their respective positions along the wave pool that had already been running for ten minutes, causing waves to crash against the gritty pavement that was supposed to represent sand. The park was set to open in another five and Eren grinned again, looking forward to the day to come. What Eren didn’t realize was that today wasn’t going to be as normal as he thought. 

*

It was around mid-afternoon when Eren found himself on roaming guard duty. Nothing too drastic had happened so far. There were a few minor cases of heat exhaustion, as expected on such a hot day, and a few minor saves for distressed swimmers. Eren was making his rounds through the park when the sounds of a heated argument fell upon his ears. 

“For fuck’s sake, I told you to leave me alone!” A short, raven-haired man yelled angrily at a taller, blond haired man who was steadfastly holding his upper arm.

“No Levi! I won’t leave until you talk to me!” The taller man growled, visibly tightening his grip on the raven-haired man’s, Levi’s, arm.

“I told you, Farlan. There’s nothing to discuss. Now let go of me!” Levi shouted and struggled, trying to break Farlan’s grip on his arm. 

Before Eren even realized what he was doing, he was pulling Farlan’s hand off of Levi’s arm. Levi watched with wide eyes, which quickly flooded with relief due to the sudden interjection by the stranger.

“The fuck-“Farlan began.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I cannot have you harassing the other patrons of the aquatic center and if you refuse to refrain from such behavior, I will have you removed from the park for at least the remainder of the day.” Eren said tightly, with a professional customer service smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Eren subsequently tightened his hold on Farlan’s hand.

Farlan winced at the increasing pressure. “I’m doing no such thing. I’ll have you know that I know this man and am by no means harassing him.”

Levi scoffed and Eren’s eyes narrowed, but the smile on his face remained. “Whether you know him or not is irrelevant. You were obviously harassing him and that is not something we allow inside the park. Now, do you insist on continuing this display that will lead me to forcefully remove you from the park, or will you calm down?”

“I told you!” Farlan shouted, exasperated. “I know this man-“

“Thank you, sir. That is all the answer that I need.” Eren said tugging Farlan toward the park’s entrance, leaving Levi gaping after them. Hannes walked swiftly up to Eren after being notified by another guard and witnessing the second half of the past exchange.

“I’ll take it from here Eren. You go and make sure the other patron is okay and get back to roaming duty.” Hannes said with the faintest of smiles. “Sir, if you’ll come with me.” He said turning to Farlan.

“Aye, aye mon capitan!” Eren said, grinning and giving Hannes his best mock salute. He returned his attention to Levi who was watching Farlan’s retreating back with a scowl. “Are you alright, sir? You’re not injured at all, are you?” Eren asked while gently taking Levi’s arm to inspect where the other man’s fingers had been.

For reasons that Levi didn’t quite understand, his heartbeat increased rapidly at the gentle form of contact. “I’m fine.” Levi said, looking away, but making no move to pull his arm out of Eren’s grasp despite his rapid pulse.

“Good, I’m glad!” Eren said with a wide smile. “If you need anything feel free to go to the guard station. I’m Eren, by the way and I’ll be happy to help with anything you may need.”

“Levi.” The other man supplied, only brave enough to glance at Eren out of the corner of his eye.

“Well sir, enjoy the rest of your day!” Eren called, walking away to finish his rounds, once again leaving Levi gaping after him.


	2. A Mutual Attraction is a Beautiful Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a peak inside the minds of Eren and Levi. Both men seem to have an interest in the other. Where will the two of them go from here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is split between both Eren and Levi. You get a little look into how both characters are feeling about their encounter earlier. From here the story will probably stay more centered around Levi and his point of view. Or, at least, it has with everything that I've written so far. Comments and feedback always welcome! Plus the next chapter will get the plot ball rolling!! *aggressively rubs hands together while chuckling darkly*

Levi didn’t understand why he would ever come to a public pool of all places. It was disgustingly filthy and the close proximity with other people was utterly horrifying. Levi surmised that it was probably due to the fact that one of his best friends was the owner of said park, allowing him to easily be roped into going to the pool and for once he was actually pretty happy about being in such a public place.

“Sorry about that Levi. I didn’t realize that Farlan was going to show up and crap on your day. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” Erwin, the owner of the pool, and one of Levi’s best friends asked.

Levi was sitting in one of the plush leather chairs in Erwin’s (blessedly) air-conditioned office. “It’s okay, Erwin. You had no idea that Farlan was going to show up here of all places. I just wish that he would leave me alone already.” Levi said with a frown.

“I know and, unfortunately, there’s nothing much I can do to help him leave you alone. Although I can have him banned from the park." Erwin said with a chuckle. "But is there anything else I can do to make it up to you?”

“No, I don’t think so…or at least I can’t think of anything at the moment, but I’ll let you know if something crosses my mind.” Levi responded with a smirk before getting up from where he was sitting and walking towards the office door.

“Well don’t hesitate to let me know if you do think of something.” Erwin said, opening the door to his office and seeing Levi out.

Levi left him to his work and returned to the water park. Now that the nuisance that was Farlan was no longer around to bother him, Levi was curious to know more about that lifeguard, Eren, who had come to his rescue earlier that day. _Eren._ He was tall, tan and undeniably gorgeous. His green eyes practically glowing inside of his skull even when they were narrowed in suspicion. Levi couldn’t help the flutter in his chest when he recalled the look that Eren had given Farlan. It was almost… _protective..._ and undeniably sexy as hell. Levi wouldn’t mind being wrapped in Eren’s strong arms never to be let go-

Levi abruptly stopped his train of thought. He wasn’t about to allow himself to get lost in these fantasies over some stranger. The kid was simply doing his job, looking out for the satisfaction of the patrons, but then again, Levi couldn’t help but believe the action meant so much more than just kindness. Honestly, if Eren had wanted to, he could have just ignored the situation entirely.

As he was walking down back to the park from Erwin’s office, Levi found himself looking over the lifeguards on duty searching for a certain brown-haired-and there! Levi spotted Eren at work sending people down the water slides. _Why did he have to be at the top of the slides?_ Levi thought to himself, his hope quickly deflating within his chest. It wasn’t as though Levi was afraid of heights or anything-no, of course he was not _afraid_ -he just got a little _teensy-bit_ anxious.

As much as Levi was hoping to meet with Eren again, he just knew that going to the top of the slides was a disaster waiting to happen. _Although_ , Levi mused, _it could be a chance to get those strong arms around me and Oh my God, what am I thinking??!!_ Levi banished the thoughts from his brain, hoping to remain somewhat calm whilst in a public place. There was no way he was going after a kid. He couldn’t be any older than a teenager, probably pushing 18 at best. _Still, 18_ is _legal_. Levi sighed. If this continued he was going to be in deep trouble.

* * *

 

Eren checked his watch for probably the thousandth time that day and sighed. Ever since his chance meeting with Levi, the day had started to crawl by incredibly slowly. There was just something alluring about Levi that made Eren want to understand what went on behind that stoic expression. Earlier he had seen Levi go into Erwin’s, the owner of the park's, office. Eren couldn’t help, but wonder what he was doing. Eren wouldn’t lie, he did find Levi incredibly attractive, and it was no secret to anyone that Eren had dated guys before. Honestly, gender didn’t really matter to Eren, it was all about the person’s personality.

Aside from constantly checking his watch, Eren kept looking around for Levi. He wondered if the man was still with Erwin or what else he could be doing right now. Eren hoped that Levi hadn’t left the park. After all, it was only mid-afternoon and Eren was still hoping that he would get to run into Levi again. He knew that he needed to stop thinking about the man. It wasn’t good to be distracted at work, especially when he was a lifeguard, and a lack of attention to his surroundings could result in a life or death situation.

It wasn’t until a bit later when Eren was working the top of the slides that he saw Levi emerge from Erwin’s office. Levi kept looking around as though he were searching for someone. “Probably watching out for the creep from earlier.” Eren muttered to himself. Eren sighed, he seemed to being doing quite a lot of that today, and turned back to the people he was directing. Chancing a glance back towards where Levi stood, Eren was met with Levi’s gaze on the slide tower. He wasn’t quite sure, but it looked as though Levi were looking at him. It also didn’t help that when Eren glanced in Levi’s direction for a second time, the man was still gazing up at the slide tower. Seeing Levi scrutinizing where he currently was caused something in his chest to flutter, and Eren allowed a tiny bit of hope to blossom at the prospect that he wasn’t imagining anything.


	3. Fear is Frightening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi returns home after his day at the water park. His thoughts don't revolve solely around Eren, who he left at the water park. That's mainly due to the terrifying distraction that Levi is faced with in his apartment. What could possibly be waiting for Levi? What exactly is terrifying for Levi? Could it be something simple as a mess? Or maybe he comes home to find Hanji there? Or possibly a certain blond haired man from earlier?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Violence ensues. This is the shit hits the fan chapter that gets the plot ball rolling. I literally almost titled this chapter "Shit hits the fan" because I also learned that I'm terrible at coming up with chapter titles. Enjoy the ensuing violence and don't be afraid to leave comments and feedback at the end! I've already loved the couple of responses I've gotten! It makes me so happy to see people reading this! *Internet hugs for you all*
> 
> ~MOLIM

Levi didn’t manage to run into Eren for the rest of the day, or at least the rest of the time that he spent at the water park. Unlike some people, Levi had a life that didn’t include waiting around like a pissy little fangirl to talk to the tall brunette. Instead, Levi returned to his apartment to get cleaned up after his day at the park. With Levi’s sensitive skin, he was forced to wear several layers of sunscreen and leaving all of that on, along with his chlorine damaged hair was never a good idea. Levi was _not_ about to crawl in bed covered in grease and dried sweat. Just the thought was disgusting enough to make Levi cringe.

Levi walked into his immaculately clean apartment, taking his shoes off at the door. He inhaled the ever present scent of surface cleaner and allowed a smile to quirk at the edges of his lips. There were few things in Levi’s life that he had complete control over and he took pride in maintaining a pristine apartment. Levi walked past the living room and down the hall to his bathroom. He turned on the shower and stepped in after removing his swim trunks and t-shirt. The hot water cascaded down Levi’s muscular body and seemed to peel back the layers of sunscreen and sweat. He let a contented sigh escape his chest as he reveled in the feeling of the water on his skin.

After finishing his shower, Levi wrapped a towel around his waist and walked down the rest of the hallway into his bedroom. The air conditioning quickly chilled the layer of water on his skin, causing Levi to shiver. He dressed himself in a pair of gray sweatpants and a tight black tee. Levi walked back down the hallway towards the living room, towel-drying his hair as he went. He froze in mid-step when he found Farlan sitting on his couch. Fear immediately formed a tight ball in Levi’s chest that was difficult to breath around.

“Hello Levi.” Farlan said, a little too calmly in Levi’s opinion. After all, the man had been kicked out of a water park earlier that day for harassing Levi.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Farlan?!” Levi snarled, feeling anger rise up past the fear coiling tight within his chest.

“Like you don’t know, Levi?” Farlan hissed, standing from his place on the couch. Levi instinctively took a step backwards, intending to keep as much space between them as possible. “You had me kicked out of a goddamn water park!”

“You got yourself kicked out! Don’t go blaming that shit on me. Besides, I never wanted to see you anyway, and I still don’t. So, if you’d be so kind-get the FUCK OUT OF MY APARTMENT!!!” Levi screamed while pointing at the door.

Farlan smirked. “Looks like someone got a little brave while he was gone. I suppose I should knock some sense back into that thick skull of yours. Make you remember your place. It shouldn’t be too hard. I was pretty thorough during my first round of training you.” He took a few sickeningly slow steps towards Levi who continued to back away from the man.

“Stay the fuck away from me!” Levi attempted to shout firmly, but his voice shook. _Shit! I need to get out of this situation quickly._ After being with him for so long, Levi knew that Farlan could easily see past any façade the other man put up. Levi glanced towards his front door. That was his first mistake. With a snarl, Farlan leapt at Levi, pushing him up against the wall. All of the air was knocked out of Levi’s lungs in a horrifying rush.

“You’re worthless, you hear me?? No one else is ever going to want you! I should just make it easier on the world and end you here and now.” Farlan hissed after slapping Levi.

Levi grit his teeth through the stinging pain that was quickly blossoming on his cheek. “Nice try Farlan, but I don’t intend to let you control me any longer!” Levi retaliated punching Farlan in his left eye, causing the man to stumble backwards. That was Levi’s second mistake. Farlan looked up at Levi with obvious murder in his eyes. The tight knot in Levi’s chest constricted even further as he met that gaze. Any hope that he had of making it out of this situation alive was quickly diminishing. Levi tried to run, clinging to the possibility that he just might make it out of the apartment in time, but Farlan was too fast for him.

Levi was shoved to the floor, allowing Farlan to land right on top of him. Levi winced as Farlan gripped his arms, lifted his torso, and finally slammed him back into the hardwood floor. _There are definitely going to be bruises there tomorrow. If I even make it to tomorrow._ Levi thought darkly as he squirmed in Farlan’s grasp in an attempt to break free.

“Nice try Levi, but I’m not about to let your sorry ass go just yet. You should know I never let you go that easily.” Farlan pulled his arm back and punched Levi in the face. He brought his arm back for another swing, but those few seconds where one of Levi’s arms was freed was enough for the smaller man. Levi reached up and shoved the side of Farlan’s face with as much strength as he could manage, effectively tipping the larger man over and smashing his head against the floor. Farlan’s grip on his other arm went slack and Levi quickly scooted away from him.

_I need to get out of here now!_ Levi stumbled while trying to stand and a vice-like grip wrapped around his ankle. His foot was pulled out from underneath him and Levi crashed to the floor. He looked over his shoulder to see Farlan gripping his ankle tightly. “Let go of me you bastard!” Levi shouted while kicking Farlan in the nose with the heel of his foot. There was a sickening crunch before blood began to spew from Farlan’s face. Farlan cradled his broken nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Levi scrambled to his feet, grabbed his phone off of the table next to the door, and sprinted from his apartment. Levi dialed 9-1-1 as he raced down the stairs.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” The operator asked upon answering.

“I need help! I was just attacked in my apartment.” Levi struggled to speak through the panic still coiled tightly in his chest.

“Sir, I need you to remain calm. Now what is your name and location?” She responded calmly.

“My name is Levi Ackerman and I’m at the Trost apartment complex. I’m currently running down the stairs to the first floor of the building.” The operator’s calm demeanor was helping to quell the panic within Levi as he worked his way down to the lobby. He looked over his shoulder and saw nothing behind him. The only sounds that he could hear came from the woman on the phone and his own labored breathing.

“Thank you, Mr. Ackerman. A group of officers is in your area and should be arriving shortly. Now, I need you to stay on the phone with me. Can you do that, sir?”

“Yes, I think I can manage that.” Levi said with a humorless laugh.

“Very good, sir. Where in the building are you located at the moment?”

“I just…passed the…third floor…landing.” Levi managed to explain between gulps of air.

“Remain calm, Mr. Ackerman. Everything is going to be alright.” Despite not even knowing the name of the woman Levi was speaking to, he couldn’t help but believe what she was saying.

Levi rounded the last corner of the stairwell and jumped the few remaining stairs down to the lobby. He immediately fell to his knees in relief after taking in the sight that awaited him. “Oh thank God.” Levi breathed out.

“Mr. Ackerman, is everything alright?” Levi had almost forgotten he was speaking with the 9-1-1 operator.

“Yes, everything is great. I just made it to the apartment lobby and the cops are here.”

“Excellent, Mr. Ackerman.” Levi could hear the smile in her voice. “I told you everything would be okay.”

“Yes, yes you did. Thank you.” Levi responded squeezing his eyes shut.

“You’re welcome. Goodbye, Mr. Ackerman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh what's going to happen next?? O.O Levi and Farlan got a little violent. The 9-1-1 operator was so kind too! Opinions on this type of Levi? 
> 
> P.S. You can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music


	4. The Investigation Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi talks to the cops who take up the case and examine Levi's apartment. Levi's taken to the police station for questioning and has to call Hanji for a favor. Levi's not to happy about certain circumstances, but things could be a lot worse for the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a filler chapter. Honestly, I didn't entirely understand the term that other writers had used until now, but here it is. I think I may post another chapter soon just because of the lack of things happening in this one. 
> 
> As always, please leave comments and feedback! I like to know what y'all are feeling. It doesn't even have to be your feelings towards my writing. How was your day? Did anything interesting happen? Let's all discuss our life problems in the comments! The Doctor is in.
> 
> Thanks for reading and as always you can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.
> 
> ~MOLIM

Levi wasn’t usually the type of person to cry in public, heck he wasn’t the type of person to cry _ever_ because of the awful mix of tears and snot that ensues, but he figured he could make an exception this time. He had never been so incredibly _relieved_ at any other point in his lifetime. One of the cops standing in the lobby came over to him as sobs wracked Levi’s body.

“Sir,” the man said, kneeling down, “are you Levi Ackerman?” Levi wasn’t able to answer through his gross amount of tears, but he did manage to nod. “Okay. Mr. Ackerman, you don’t need to explain anything to us yet. We’d like to take you outside to EMS and let them take a look at you, but first I need you to tell me your apartment number so we can send a team up there.”

Levi nodded again. “I-it’s…it’s 713.”

“Thank you, sir.” The officer turned and nodded to the officers behind him who immediately drew their guns and ascended the apartment stairs. The officer turned back to Levi and helped him to his feet. The two walked outside, albeit Levi a little more unsteady than the man next to him, to where an ambulance was waiting. Levi was seated on the waiting stretcher as the medical personnel began looking him over. Aside from the horrendous bruising that was most likely going to occur from Farlan’s treatment, Levi was perfectly fine.

The officer who first spoke with him came up to Levi after he was released from the medics. “The team we sent up to your apartment found it completely empty. The door was left ajar and nothing seems out of place. A full search of the building also left us with nothing. We’ll need a few hours to sweep for prints and evaluate the scene, but if you wouldn’t mind coming down to the station to answer a few questions, everything should be cleared out when we get finished. We’ll escort you back here where you can pack up some of your belongings in order to go stay with a friend.”

“Thank you, Officer…?” Levi began.

“Mike Zacharius.” The man supplied.

“Officer Zacharius. Is it really necessary to sweep for prints? I already know who attacked me.”

Mike gaped at him. “You know who attacked you?”

“Yes. His name is Farlan Church. He’s my…ex-boyfriend.” Levi muttered.

“Thank you for telling me that, Mr. Ackerman. This should speed things up considerably. We’ll still need to look for prints in order to support your testimony.” Levi nodded his assent. “Now if you’ll come with me.” Mike said gesturing to his squad car.

* * *

 

The drive to the police station wasn’t anything impressive. Although, if Levi was going to be completely honest, neither was the questioning that he was forced to endure. It dredged up far too much of his past that he would have preferred not to relive, but if it meant putting Farlan behind bars then he was willing to oblige. Once Levi had finished explaining everything to the police officers, Mike took out his cell and called the team that had stayed behind at Levi’s apartment.

“Everything went well then?” Mike asked. “Good, good. Thank you. Have Eld stay behind and the rest of you may leave. Yes, thank you Petra.” Mike hung up and turned back to Levi. “The forensics team is finished in your apartment. They managed to find some suitable fingerprints, but there wasn’t much to do since nothing in your apartment was out of place. I can take you back now to gather a few things. Would you like to get in contact with someone before we get going?”

Levi nodded. “I’d like to call my friend Hanji if you don’t mind. As much as I’d love to drop by unannounced, I should give them a heads-up.”

“I’ll give you a few minutes to make the call then.” He said leaving the room.

Levi took out his phone and found Hanji under his contacts. He hit dial and waited for her to answer.

“Calling a bit late, aren’t we, short stuff?” Hanji answered coyly. Levi rolled his eyes. He could practically hear their smirk, but it was a relief to hear their voice. Not that Levi would ever admit that anyway.

“Fuck off four-eyes. I need a favor.” Levi deadpanned.

“You might want to try being a little nicer to me if you need a favor. I might not help you out.”

“Oh please…bitch you love me.” Hanji laughed. “Of course I do! Now what is this oh-so-important favor?”

Levi sighed. “I need a place to stay. I’m not sure for how long though, and I can’t go back to my apartment.”

“Levi…what happened?” Hanji asked, the worry evident in their voice.

“I’ll explain it all when I get there, but…” Levi took a deep breath to steady his nerves. “Basically to sum it up, Farlan showed up at my apartment and attacked me.”

Hanji gasped. “ _Nom mon dieu_ , Levi! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, for the most part anyway. I’m just a little banged up. I’ll see you later tonight, alright? I just need to go and pack a bag or whatever and I’ll be right over.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll have the wine and a nice cozy blanket ready for when you get here.” Hanji said, lightheartedly.

Levi smiled. “Thanks Hanji.” He said hanging up. Levi walked out of the interrogation room and found Mike waiting for him in the hallway.

Mike pushed off from where he was standing against the opposite wall. “Ready to go?” He asked and Levi nodded.

* * *

 

The drive back to Levi’s apartment wasn’t any better than the drive to the station. The two men sat in silence for the entirety of the ride. When they reached Levi’s apartment building, Mike parked the car in front and walked with Levi up to his home. Before entering the front door, Mike turned to the other man. “Are you okay to do this?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay.” Levi took a deep breath before twisting the doorknob and walking in. Levi was expecting to walk in on some disaster scene, but everything was incredibly…normal. It felt almost too normal compared to the events that had taken place not too long ago. A police officer looked up from where he was sitting on Levi’s couch, in the exact spot Farlan had been sitting earlier. _God, this is going to take some getting used to._

“Mr. Ackerman, this is Officer Eld Jinn.” Mike said gesturing to the man, who stood. Levi and Eld nodded at one another. “Feel free to go and pack a bag. We’ll wait out here as you gather your things.” Levi hesitantly walked back down the hallway towards his bedroom. He felt as though at any moment, Farlan was going to jump out from his hiding place and attack him again. Levi paused and took a couple of deep breaths before entering his bedroom to find it…empty.

Levi should his head. _Of course it’s empty. There’s no one else here besides me and the police officers_. Levi walked over to his closet and pulled out a large duffel bag. He immediately began filling it with the essentials he was bound to need. Several suits, a pair of dress shoes (for his work), a few pairs of jeans, several black t-shirts (he didn’t own shirts in many other colors), and some lounge pants. Levi paused in the bathroom while retrieving his toiletries. He looked in the mirror and could already see bruises forming from where he’d been punched. He sighed and walked back into his bedroom to place his things in his bag. Levi zipped up his duffel before slinging it over his shoulder. He took a moment at his bedroom door and looked around the room once more before walking back down the hallway.

Mike and Eld stood once he re-entered the living room. “There’s just one last thing we need to go over before I take you to your friend’s house.” Mike said giving Levi a wary look before continuing. “We believe that Mr. Church may attempt to come back to your home and in order to protect your residence, and possibly apprehend him, we are going to have an officer posted in your home at all times.”

Levi stiffened at the thought of other people being in his home without him there, and, subsequently, the fact that he won’t be able to clean the place. “All right, just…don’t make a mess…or I’ll chop off your balls and drop kick them to China.” Levi said tightly. Mike and Eld exchanged a look over Levi’s words, but both men nodded their assent.

“Well then,” Mike gestured to the door, “shall we, Mr. Ackerman?” Levi walked out of his apartment without sparing it, or the officers, another glance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww...some more vulnerable Levi. We'll be seeing more of that in this fic (hint, hint). "Nom mon dieu" means "Oh my God" in French in case you were wondering. It'll pop up again later too. Again, thanks for reading and feel free to discuss things in the comments!
> 
> I'd also like to thank invawes, youlookhellafine, and Anime_121_eminA for leaving comments.
> 
> I'd also like to thank xXDarklittleMeXx, Danaixa, Anime_121_eminA, Reina88, soleu, youlookhellafine, 2651e9, miss_calavera, Tinyheichou, Me_and_my_fandoms, springflower1412, invawes, LittleMinxOfSpades, CyanShadow11, creoleereri, arenyss, and the 9 guests who left kudos on this work.
> 
> It means a lot to me that I've gotten some form of recognition even if it was just a simple click of the kudos button. I hope that you'll all stick with me as I keep writing this fic.
> 
> Thanks you beautiful people!  
> ~MOLIM


	5. No Secrets Between Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi finally gets to Hanji's house where he's forced to recount what happened earlier that night. Hanji provides Levi with some alcohol and he gets a bit drunk, causing him to reveal something that he didn't exactly want Hanji knowing. How will she react? Better yet, how will Levi react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi gets drunk! It's very exciting and Levi will probably be very embarrassed about some of the things that he says when he wakes up the next day. We also get to see more of Levi's vulnerable side.
> 
> Feel free to comment! Whenever someone comments it literally makes my day! I appreciate everyone that reads my writing.
> 
> As always, you can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music!

Levi was hoping that Hanji would be in a generous mood and wouldn’t give him the third degree after the night that he’s had. Hoping wasn’t actually the right word, more like praying. _Is it too late to go stay with Erwin?_ Levi knew he wouldn’t be able to do that. He sighed and lifted his hand up to the door, swiftly rapping three times. The sounds quickly died away, but were replaced with a muffled shout.

“Leeeeeeeviiiiiii!!!” Hanji called from inside her apartment. Levi braced himself as the apartment door was thrown open. Hanji gasped. “ _Nom mon Dieu!_ Levi you look terrible!”

“Nice to see you too.” Levi grumbled.

“Sorry, sorry. Come on in.” They said, moving out of the doorway. Levi walked into their apartment, leaving his shoes at the door, and making his way over to the couch. Hanji followed him inside, but moved into their kitchen instead. “I’m going to get something to drink for the both of us, and then you are going to tell me what happened.”

Levi sighed and leaned his head up against the back of the couch. “It better be alcohol and a lot of it.”

“Oh honey,” Hanji smirked, raising up two bottles of Levi’s favorite pinot noir, “I spare no expense when it comes to my favorite little Frenchman.” Hanji walked over to the couch setting one of the bottles and two wine glasses on the coffee table. “Now,” They began, opening the bottle and pouring two (very) full glasses, “why don’t you tell me what happened.”

Levi took one of the glasses and downed half of it. Quality be damned, Levi needed the alcohol in his system now. “I’m assuming Eyebrows has already told you about what happened at the water park today, right?” Hanji nodded. “Well after I left, I went back to my apartment to take a shower. When I was done, I walked back into the living room and found Farlan sitting on my couch.” Levi sipped his wine before continuing. “He was angry about being kicked out of the water park and he…he attacked me.” Levi finished, whispering the last part.

Hanji reached out to Levi, hesitating slightly before placing her hand over his. “I’m so sorry, Levi.” They whispered. Levi could only manage to nod. He was willing the tears not to fall. He’d already cried too much that day and he didn’t want to seem so vulnerable in front of Hanji.

“Fuck.” Levi muttered as the tears began to overflow.

Hanji gripped Levi’s hand. “It’s okay, Levi.” Hanji said softly. “You had no control over the situation. Remember that.”

Levi sniffled and nodded. “I know…I know. And I know I didn’t have any control over his actions when we were together, but it _hurts_. Why does it hurt so much? _How can something hurt_ this much?” Levi took a shaky breath. “Why does this have to happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? Am I that horrible of a person?”

“No, no, no, no, no!” Hanji exclaimed. “Levi you _don’t_ deserve this! No one deserves this and I’m so sorry that you’re experiencing it. If I could take away the pain, I would, but you must know that it’s going to get better! I _promise_ , okay?” Hanji pleaded.

“You better be right, four-eyes.” Levi sniffed, letting out a humorless chuckle.

Hanji grinned. “Since when have I ever been wrong?”

Levi quirked an eyebrow. “Do you seriously want me to answer that?” Despite the seriousness of the situation, the light banter was helping to calm Levi down.

Hanji’s grin widened. “Let’s put it to the test using the scientific method. I have a somewhat upset, little Frenchman on my hands. How does one possibly cheer him up? First, attempt giving said Frenchman some of his favorite wine.” Hanji gestured to the glass Levi was holding. “What are the results?”

“Fucking pinot noir makes everything fucking better.” As if making a point, Levi took another long drought from his glass.

“Good. Next, bring out the Netflix and find something stupid to watch. In doing so, the little Frenchman will constantly fling insults at the television and visibly lighten the mood.” Hanji added.

“Usually I’m a sucker for B-rated horror movies, but I need something with a little more angst. An angsty action flick. So you were wrong on the second step.”

“Not quite, half-pint.” Hanji smiled as Levi narrowed his eyes. “I did suggest Netflix, but I didn’t mention what type of movies it would be. I also never said it would be a movie.” Hanji shrugged. “If I had though, it’s the scientific method for a reason. Try a possible solution and if it fails? Go back and try something different. There’s no wrong answer, only growth.”

“So you’re basically saying you’re never wrong because you’re a scientist?”

“Exactly! Now, to get back to the matter at hand…” Hanji turned to their T.V. and opened up Netflix.

* * *

 

Levi had every intention of having an action movie night. He started off pretty well by choosing _Tomb Raider_. The action movies didn’t last long though. Levi then saw _National Treasure_ and knew he needed some Nicolas Cage in his life, no matter how ridiculous the actor was. Finally, after a few movies and (more than) a few bottles of wine, mostly drunk by Levi, somehow the two friends ended up watching _Captain America_.

“God, Chris Evans’s hot as fuuuuuck.” Levi mumbled.

“Oh, really?” Hanji questioned, obviously amused by Levi’s observation.

“What? You don’t think so? I think so. I would not hesitate to hit that ass up.” Levi paused. “Especially with those abs, but those arms remind me too much of Eren…” Levi trailed off.

“Levi?” Hanji questioned, their interest being peaked.

“Hmmmm?” The man hummed with a drunken smile on his face.

“Who’s Eren?”

Levi bolted upright from where he was slouched on the couch, nearly spilling his wine in the process, his smile quickly vanished. “Um…uh…he’s no one…fuck.” Levi cringed. _Now I’ve done it_.

“Mm hm. He doesn’t sound like no one.” Hanji smirked.

“He’s just a lifeguard at Erwin’s water park, okay?” Levi muttered into his now empty wine glass.

Hanji squealed. “Why am I just now hearing about his? How come this wasn’t the first thing you told me after setting foot in my apartment?!”

“Because we had other things to discuss.” Levi was quickly regretting having said anything. _If only I had followed Hanji’s scientific method and chosen B-rated horror movies. Maybe then I wouldn’t be in this situation_.

“Does Erwin know about this? Oh, I am so telling Erwin!” Hanji hurriedly pulled out their phone and was searching through the contacts.

“Hanji! No, no! Don’t go telling-“

“Hello, Erwin? You will not believe what Levi just told me!” Hanji began excitedly, cutting off what Levi was saying.

“Hanji…” Levi whined.

“Levi likes one of your lifeguards!” Hanji paused listening. “Eren, it’s Eren…uh huh…yeah…perfect…no, Levi’s already had enough alcohol, trust me, you don’t need to bring any more over.” Hanji ended the call and turned back to Levi who was slumped over on the couch. “Erwin’s coming over.” They added victoriously. Levi was quietly willing himself to disappear into Hanji’s couch. This was definitely not going to be pleasant if Erwin was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sigh* I know that when Levi cries it's pretty heartbreaking, but I can't help but love making him cry! Muahahaha! I'm a horrible person, I know! Gotta love a little Nicolas Cage as well. National Treasure is a pretty good movie. Erwin shows up in the next chapter and Levi might just see Eren again for the second day in a row... 
> 
> I'd like to thank my two commenters Me_and_my_fandoms and Danaixa for leaving comments on the last chapter.
> 
> And of course I'd like to thank all the kudos-clickers (Kudosers?) Anal_Bead_Lamp, Kurosawa, Awkwardly_Me, dreamanime, attack_on_lollipops and the 3 guests who clicked Kudos.
> 
> (I think this is going to become a regular thing, me thanking people at the end of a new chapter. I just want to show you how much I appreciate everyone for making me fell all warm and fuzzy inside!)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	6. A Second Not-so-chance Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is incredibly annoyed with his two friends who both refuse to not meddle in his life. Levi decides (is forced) to help Hanji collect some water samples from an all too familiar place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably could have gotten this chapter up a little earlier, but I'm back in college and classes have started. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to write and edit right now, but I'm going to do my best balancing it all. The key is to not get distracted by Tumblr...how I can go about solving that problem is a mystery to me! 
> 
> ~MOLIM

The wait for Erwin was absolutely agonizing. Levi was not looking forward to the conversation that was going to ensue. It was one thing to have let it slip to Hanji, but _Erwin?!_ The man was Eren’s boss after all. All too soon, there was a knock at the door. Hanji leapt over the couch like the crazy fucker they are and bounded over to the door, throwing it open. Erwin stood there with an all too obvious smirk on his face and Levi groaned. He was by no means prepared for this.

“So,” Erwin began, walking into the apartment. “I hear you have a crush on one of my employees.”

Levi groaned again. “Fuck off, Eyebrows.” He moaned, burying his face into the arm of the couch.

Erwin laughed. “Oh, come on Levi. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I’m not embarrassed. I just don’t need the two of you harassing me about it.”

“More importantly,” Hanji interjected. “When are you going to ask him out?”

“Never.” Levi deadpanned.

“Don’t be like that Levi.” Hanji coaxed.

“How else am I supposed to be? He doesn’t even like me.” Levi said looking up.

“You don’t know that.” Erwin pointed out.

“Exactly! You’ll just have to go back to the waterpark to see him again.” Hanji said excitedly.

“No way in hell.” Levi stated.

“Aww, why not?” Hanji pouted.

“Because I am not going out looking like _this_.” Levi said pointing to his face.

Hanji tilted her head to the side. “If anyone asks just tell them something badass. Say that you got into a fight protecting someone.” Levi looked skeptical. “I don’t know Levi.” Hanji huffed. “You’re good at making stuff up. Just get a little creative.”

“No thanks.” Levi yawned. It had been a long day and everything had finally caught up with him.

“I suppose we should let Levi get some sleep.” Erwin said moving over to the door, despite only arriving moments ago. “I’ll see you tomorrow Hanji.”

“Bye Erwin!” Hanji said cheerfully. After shutting the door behind the other man. They turned back to Levi. The man was obviously having trouble staying awake. “I’ll go get you a blanket and a pillow.” Hanji walked down the hallway to their bedroom and came back a minute later carrying a large pillow and quilt. She brought them over to the couch and helped Levi settle in.

“Thanks Hanji.” Levi mumbled, drifted off to sleep, but added a moment later. “For everything.” Hanji smiled, happy that they could be there for their friend. They turned off the light and silently left the room, leaving Levi in peace.

* * *

 

“Wake up short stack!” Hanji called.

Levi groaned. “Hanji…what. The. Fuck?”

Hanji only laughed. “Come on and get up. It’s already 10 am and I’m making you pancakes in honor of your first night in my apartment!” Now that Hanji brought it up, the apartment did smell like chocolate.

“Why does it smell like chocolate?” Levi said sitting up. “I thought you were vegan?”

Hanji gave Levi a pointed look. “Just because I’m vegan doesn’t mean that there isn’t vegan chocolate. Seriously Levi, how long have you known me?”

“I’ve known you for a long time, but I haven’t known the vegan side of you for nearly half that.”

“You’re right. Now get your butt over here. I’ve already made you some tea and I want you to stuff that small belly full of food before we get going today!” Hanji said cheerfully.

Levi hummed, ignoring the many jabs at his height that Hanji was throwing his way. Tea was always a good way to get Levi moving and he was moving directly toward that cup of tea sitting on Hanji’s table. “Get going? Where exactly are we going?” Levi questioned.

“I have some bacteria research that I want to get started on today. Well, not so much the research part. More like collecting samples.” Hanji began excitedly. “What I’m working on, you see, is the types of bacteria cultures that develop in public places. I want to know if public spaces are really as dirty as they may seem, or perhaps even dirtier!”

Levi waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah. I get it.” He was not in the mood to listen to one of Hanji’s rants about their work this early in the morning. “So basically you’re going to be dragging me around with you while you collect samples? Wonderful.”

“Consider it payment for me allowing you to stay in my apartment for an indefinite period of time.” Hanji mused, handing Levi a plate stacked with pancakes.

“You play dirty.” Levi grumbled, cutting into his pancakes.

“You and me both, hon!”

Levi hummed in agreement, taking his first bite of pancake. _Pancakes this good should be a crime!_

Hanji sat down across from Levi with a second plate. “Anyway,” They said waving their fork in Levi’s direction. “As soon as we’re done here we can get ready to go. Dress coolly and comfortably because it’s going to a hot day!”

Levi continued to eat his pancakes, hoping that he wouldn’t have to deal with too many irritating people over the course of the coming day. Once he was finished, Levi walked into the bathroom to get changed. He looked up at his reflection and groaned. The bruises were far more visible than Levi would have liked, but there was nothing that could be done. The majority of his left check was covered in a nasty blue and purple. Levi pulled of his shirt and groaned a second time. There were bruises on both his arms that visibly looked like handprints. His back was slightly better, with only a few circles here and there. Levi inspected the rest of himself not finding anything until he got to his feet. One of his ankles also had a very purple and blue, very _noticeable_ , hand shaped bruise. Levi glared at it, almost trying to will it away, before turning away to get dressed.

* * *

 

“You have got to be fucking _kidding_ me!” Levi hissed, glaring daggers at Hanji. “I’m leaving.”

“Levi.” Hanji said slyly. “You agreed that this was payment for staying with me. You aren’t getting out of this.”

“There you are!” Erwin called as he strode out of the front gate of Titan Aquatic Center. “I’m glad to see that Levi could make it with you.”

“More like they guilt-tripped me into coming with them.” Levi grumbled.

“Well I’m glad to see you here nonetheless!” Erwin added happily. “Now Hanji, what exactly will you be doing today?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Hanji exclaimed following Erwin as the trio walked back into the waterpark. “I’m starting some research on bacteria levels in public places. So if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to take water samples from all the areas in the park.”

Erwin nodded. “I see. That shouldn’t be too big of a problem. There are a few areas that I can’t allow you access to, but I can enlist the help of one of the lifeguards to get those for you.”

“Sounds perfect. Let’s just get this over with.” Levi intervened, not giving Erwin’s statement a second thought.

“The two of you can go ahead and grab some samples from the wave pool. I’ll go check the guard station and see if I can grab someone to come and help you out.” Erwin said, leaving the two to take care of Hanji’s project.

“Let’s do this!” Hanji exclaimed before bouncing off towards the wave pool.

“Damn Hanji.” Levi muttered before quickly following them.

“Okay Levi,” Hanji said, turning towards the shorter man. “Since you aren’t prepared to go into the water, mainly due to the fact that I didn’t tell you where we were going, I’m going to collect the water samples. I’m putting you in charge of labelling the containers. I want the attraction the sample was taken from, along with where the sample was taken with the attraction. For this first one…” Hanji bent down, filling a small container with water from the entrance to the wave pool. “It should be labelled wave pool and entrance. Got it?”

“Yeah, I think I can manage.”

“Great! You get to labelling that and I’ll be back right quick with the second sample.” Before Levi could say anything else, Hanji was racing off into the water with another container.

Levi kneeled down, mindful of the water lapping on the pavement from the pool, and pulled out a permanent marker to label the first container. _Hopefully this won’t take too long and I’ll be out of here without running into Eren._

“Levi, there you are! Where’s Hanji?” Erwin’s voice called from behind him.

“They’re collecting samples. What else would they be doing?” Levi asked incredulously.

Erwin chuckled. “Right, of course. Anyway, I’ve brought a lifeguard to help the two of you out.”

“It’s about fucking time.” Levi stood, turning around and finding himself met with a pair of gorgeous green eyes. _Fuck!_ Levi mentally cursed.

“Levi, this is Eren.” Erwin said gesturing to the sun-kissed guard next to him. “He wasn’t too busy and agreed to help the two of you out.” The amusement was more than a little obvious on Erwin’s face. “I’ll leave you to it then. Oh, and Eren?” The guard turned to face the taller man. “Take as much time as you need. You’re excused from your regular duties until this task is completed.” Eren nodded and Erwin walked off.

“Okay, Eren…” Levi sighed.

“Levi-uh I mean-Mr. Ackerman…what happened?” The smile that Eren had been sporting moments ago had been replaced with a frown.

Levi waved his hand. “You can call me Levi.” Levi dodging Eren’s question didn’t go unnoticed.

“Okay. What happened to you Levi? I just saw you yesterday and you looked fine. But now…” Eren trailed off, gesturing to Levi’s face. Levi visibly cringed, the events of the previous evening quickly flooding his brain. He really did not want to have this conversation at the moment.

“Look Eren, I…I don’t…” Levi trailed off.

“Oh I can tell you what happened!” Hanji shouted excitedly, back from retrieving her second water sample.

“Hanji…” Levi warned.

“Here,” They said handing the container to Levi. “This one is from the back of the wave pool. That’s why it took me so long. Now,” They turned back to Eren, having successfully shoved a distraction in Levi’s face. “To answer your question, this angry, little Frenchman got into a bit of a scuffle.”

Eren’s eyes widened. “You got into a fight?!” Levi responded by shooting daggers at Hanji. “With who? Over what?” Eren added quizzically.

Hanji smirked. “No one in particular. Just a crazy ex-boy-“ Hanji was abruptly cut off by Levi’s hand clamping down over their mouth.

“I think that’s enough out of you. Just go collect more water samples.” Levi said, shoving another container into Hanji’s hand. They responded by licking Levi’s hand who promptly snatched his hand back. “That’s disgusting, four-eyes.” Levi screeched in horror. “You didn’t have to go and lick my hand.” The man said, furiously rubbing it on his pants. Hanji just smirked and ran back off into the water.

Eren laughed, clearly amused by the two friends. “They are an interesting person.” Eren mused. “Was it really an ex-boyfriend who did that to you?” He added quietly.

“…yeah.” Levi said, just as quietly.

“I’m so sorry. A boyfriend, current or not-so-current, is supposed to love and care for you. Not do something like that. I could never imagine hurting the people I care about.”

“It’s fine. Can we just drop it?” Levi pleaded. He did not want to be having this conversation in public.

“It’s _not_ fine!” Eren growled.

Levi was taken aback by the younger man’s sudden aggression. “…Eren…”

“No, I mean it! I know that I only met you yesterday, but the fact that someone hurt you is inexcusable.” Eren blushed. “I mean-not just you, but…the fact that he would hurt anyone who he claims to care about…” Eren trailed off, his blush deepening.

Levi smirked. “Kid, you need to work on your pep talks.”

Eren grinned. “I do, don’t I?” The two men turned back to the pool as Hanji came back with the third water sample in their hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music!
> 
> Thanks for reading and please comment and let me know your thoughts! I crave feedback even though whenever I see that someone commented I have a mini heat-attack because I'm not sure whether it's positive or negative. But I do love your comments, I promise!!!
> 
> Thank you DRAMAticalMurder, Danaixa, and Awkwardly_Me for commenting!
> 
> Also thanks to the new Kudos from nkglasses, DRAMAticalMurder, Anal_Bead_Lamp, Kurosawa, Awkwardly_Me, and dreamanime, along with the 2 new readers.
> 
> ~MOLIM


	7. Fear is Crippling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Hanji finish collecting the water samples with the help of Eren. Everyone seems to have had more fun than thought possible for a day of sample gathering. After returning back to the apartment, Levi receives some disturbing news about what Farlan might be up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've updated! I'm in college and I can already tell that this is going to be a stressful year. Not only am I taking 16 credit hours, but I've also got an on-campus job and I'm on the rowing team. Rowing takes up about three hours of my time each night and this weekend I'm also traveling to Cleveland to cox a race for the local rowing club. Anyway...enjoy the new chapter please and don't be afraid to leave comments and feedback below, thanks!
> 
> ~MOLIM

Colleting the rest of the samples was not nearly as boring and awful as Levi had thought it was going to be at the start of the day. He was glad to have Eren there helping them, even if Levi caught himself staring at Eren’s toned chest and arms one too many times. _Fucking hell, why can’t this kid wear a shirt? What am I saying? It would be an insult to make the kid wear a shirt? God, I’m screwed._

Unless Eren was the one getting the samples, he stuck by Levi’s side, obviously not wanting to leave the man alone. The thought that Eren wanted to be around him, made Levi happier than it probably should have, but he wasn’t complaining.

“Here’s the last sample from the lazy river.” Eren said, handing the container to Levi for him to label.

“Excellent!” Hanji exclaimed turning to their notes. “That only leaves the boogie-boarding simulator. This one should be pretty simple, being as we only need one sample from it.”

“I suppose this one is on me to get then.” Eren said smiling.

“Indeed it is, Eren!” Hanji said, returning his smile. They grabbed the last container from Levi’s basket and walked towards the simulator, leaving Eren and Levi to hurry after them.

“You’re going to get a water sample from this death trap?” Levi questioned.

Eren laughed. “It’s not a death trap. Besides, it shouldn’t be a problem if I reach down from the side over there and get the sample from the wave.”

“Sure…” Levi added skeptically, but watched as Eren walked over and kneeled on the edge of the side of the simulator. Eren uncapped the container and reached down towards the wave. It seemed as though Eren would have no problem retrieving the sample. That is, until he reached a little too far. With a yell, Eren fell over the side into the simulator and the wave pushed him up the smooth side of the attraction.

Levi bent over in laughter as he watched the younger man attempt to leave the simulator. Eren’s efforts were fruitless and he just kept spinning in circles. The sound of Levi’s laughter caught his attention, however. “L-Levi!” Eren whined.

Levi responded only by laughing harder. At this point Hanji had also joined in and the two were leaning on each other for support. Somehow, Eren managed to make his way over to the side of the simulator and he quickly hauled himself over the edge, completely drenched.

“That wasn’t funny, Levi!” Eren tried to pout, but his poor attempt turned into a smile. The young lifeguard was just happy seeing Levi with such a joyous expression on his face. “Here.” He held the container out to Levi, but the man couldn’t take it because he was doubled over, gasping for air. “Don’t pass out or I’ll have to give you mouth to mouth.” Eren warned.

“I-is…th-that…a th-threat…or…ah a…promise?” Levi gasped out.

“It’s a promise.” Eren said, voice dropping an octave.

Levi suppressed a shiver. He was not about to let this kid get the better of him. “Maybe some other time kid. When I’m not gasping for air, that is.” Levi said, looking at Eren through hooded eyes.

Eren blushed and managed to stammer, “U-uh yeah…sure.”

Levi smirked. _This kid was too easy._

“Not to interrupt this shit show you call flirting or anything,” Hanji began, making Eren’s blush deepen. “But, I need to get these samples to the lab.”

“Hanji, it’s a Sunday. Do you really need to go to the lab today?” Levi asked, straightening.

“Oh?” Hanji smirked. “What did you want to do, shorty? Stay here? I don’t know if you noticed, but you didn’t exactly come prepared to be at a waterpark.”

“Your fault for not telling me where we were going.” Levi snapped.

“Besides,” Hanji said, turning to Eren. “Don’t you have to get back to work?”

“That’s right!” Eren exclaimed. “I’ve already been gone so long. I need to get back and guard. It was a pleasure helping you Hanji!” He began walking away, but hesitated. “And, Levi?” Eren stood up to his full height. “I had a nice time talking to you.” Eren flashed his million dollar smile, before hurrying back to the guard station. This time it was Levi’s turn to blush. _Damn that kid. He can’t get me with any of the sexual stuff, but throw some genuine kindness my way and I turn into a lobster._

Hanji snickered. “Well look who’s got a crush!”

“I don’t have a crush!” Levi snapped.

Hanji grinned. “I wasn’t talking about you.”

Like what happened to Eren earlier, Levi’s blush deepened at Hanji’s words. _Damn it._

* * *

 

The drive back to Hanji’s apartment was absolute torture for Levi. No matter what he did, no matter how many insults he spewed, he could. Not. Wipe. The. Smirk. Off. Of. Hanji’s. Face.

“You’re so cute with your crush and all.” Hanji beamed.

“ _Who_ exactly is so cute with their crush?” Levi sneered.

“Oh, come on, grumpy butt!” Hanji beamed. “It’s so obvious the two of you like each other! You should ask him out the next time you see him.”

“And when exactly is that supposed to be? I have a job. I can’t just go to the waterpark any time that I want to. Especially after what happened yesterday, to boot.” Levi grumbled.

Hanji’s face fell. “Oh yeah. There’s also that.” Hanji remained silent for the rest of the drive back to their apartment complex. It wasn’t until the two friends were in the elevator that they decided to speak up again. “I know! Levi, you like to cook. Why don’t you put those skills to use and make something? How about a chocolate cake? I know how much of a sweet tooth you have.”

Levi looked over at them in surprise. “Yeah, I think I will.”

The elevator stopped on Hanji’s floor and the two friends stepped out, walking down the hallway towards Hanji’s apartment. Hanji quickly unlocked the door and walked inside, with Levi right behind them, slipping his shoes off at the front door as he went. Levi immediately walked into Hanji’s kitchen and began inspecting the cupboards, pulling out the necessary ingredients for his favorite chocolate cake. Levi had everything, for the most part anyway.

“Hanji?” Levi called.

“Hmm?” They acknowledged.

“Do you have any more cocoa powder or chocolate here? If not, I’m going to need to go to the store.”

“Sorry, I don’t. What you see is what I’ve got.” Hanji responded.

“Okay. There’s a convenience store just down the street right?” Levi asked.

“Yeah, it’s right on the corner. Once you exit the front entrance, just go right and you should find it in no time.”

“I’ll be back in a few then.” Levi walked back to the front door. He’d just put his shoes back on and was about to leave when his phone rang in his pocket. “Levi Ackerman speaking.” Levi answered.

“Mr. Ackerman? This is Officer Zacharius. I was the one who took your statement last night.”

“Yes, I remember who you are. Did you need something else?” Levi asked, exasperated.

“Yes, actually. The information that you gave us was enough to grant us a search warrant. We went to Mr. Church’s apartment. He wasn’t there, but we did find something rather…disturbing.” Levi did not like how that sounded.

“Disturbing? Disturbing…how?” Levi reluctantly asked.

“Well…the walls of his apartment were covered with pictures, plans, drawings, etc. Many of the photos were of yourself.”

Levi gripped his phone tighter. “My-myself?”

“Yes. They were pictures of you doing everyday things. Going to work, grocery shopping, and going out to eat with friends.”

Levi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Farlan was obsessive, but _this_? “Anything else?” Not that he wanted to know the answer to that.

“Yes. He has several writings that make it clear he doesn’t want anyone else to have you. We believe that this could translate into a possible attempt on your life. There are several plans and ideas for bombs. Until we are able to find Mr. Church, we’d like you to stay away from your car. We’d also like someone to be with you at all times. Have someone drive you to and from work. We’ve arranged to have the security personnel at your office informed about Mr. Church. Don’t stay at your friend’s apartment alone. Do you understand, Mr. Ackerman?”

“Yes, I do. Th-thank you.” Levi managed to get out.

“If you need anything, you can reach me at this number. Have a good day.” Mike said, hanging up.

Levi wasn’t sure how he was supposed to have a good day. _Farlan…Farlan wants to_ kill _me?!_ Levi backed up against the apartment door and slid to the floor. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself. Levi wasn’t sure when he started shaking, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop anytime soon.

“Levi are you still here?” Hanji called from down the hall. “I was wondering if you could pick me up-Levi!” Hanji gasped when she saw him curled up against their front door. They ran over to him and knelt down. “Levi, what happened? Talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

“I just got a call from the police department.” Levi said staring wide-eyed at the floor.

“Okay? What did they say?” Hanji prodded.

“They found disturbing evidence at Farlan’s.” He looked up at Hanji’s face, almost searching for something, and whispered: “They think he’s going to try and kill me.”

Hanji was dumbstruck. “He…he wants to k-kill you?” Levi only nodded. They sat down next to Levi and pulled him close. Levi’s violent shaking diminished somewhat at the contact, but his newfound fear was too great to allow for it to disappear completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Also thanks to Fuckyeah and XBrightFutureX for leaving Kudos over the past couple weeks. 
> 
> I honestly cannot believe that my story has 8 bookmarks and 23 subscriptions! It honestly blows my mind that 23 people want to read my fic whenever it updates and I cannot thank you enough!
> 
> I'm also going to be part of the Big Bang challenge that's being organized through the SNK artists network on Tumblr if that interests you. I'm really excited about this and can't wait to see how it plays out.
> 
> As always, you can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	8. Everyone Needs a Little Support, and by Support, I Mean Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is still in shock over the news about Farlan. Hanji has no idea how to mend the situation and reinforcements are called in. Some interesting things are also mentioned that have to do with Levi's favorite green-eyed lifeguard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god! I am so sorry that's it's been almost a month since I've updated! I can't believe it's taken me this long. I know I'm in college and busy with school work and my other activities, but I don't want to rely on that excuse for not updating. This chapter is also probably not as long as some people would like. On Thursday and Friday of this week I have fall break, so I'm going to make it my goal to post another chapter then to make it up to everyone. I also hope that I won't have too much homework and I'll get some serious writing done since I haven't done any work on this fic in weeks. I'm participating in the SNK Artists Big Bang challenge, so you can expect an entirely different piece of work next week!
> 
> Thanks for reading, I love all of you like, a lot!
> 
> ~MOLIM

It was beginning to get dark before either Levi or Hanji made to move from their spot on the floor. Levi had stopped shaking an hour or two ago and a numbness had crept over his entire being. He was empty of all feeling and for once he was glad. He didn’t want to feel anything at the moment. He just wanted to sit there and forget everything that happened. He wanted to forget his shitty life and the fact that he definitely didn’t have a chance with Eren now.

“Levi?” Hanji prodded gently. They got no response, but continued. “Are you hungry? How about we order some pizza. Does that sound good?”

Levi nodded, but made no move to leave his place on the floor. Hanji sighed. “I need you to stand up with me. Let’s go into the living room and sit on the couch. You must be stiff after sitting here for so long.” Hanji got to their feet and pulled Levi to his. The two walked into the living room and Hanji sat Levi down on the couch. They handed the remote to him. “Go ahead and pick something to watch. It can be regular T.V. or Netflix, you decide.”

Hanji left Levi to his own devices and went into the kitchen to place the pizza order. As she talked on the phone, Hanji put away the baking ingredients and tools that Levi had pulled out earlier. Hanji looked over to where Levi was sitting on the couch, numbly staring at the T.V. and scrolling through Netflix. There were few times when Hanji was at a complete loss in life, but this was, unfortunately, one of those times.

Hanji picked up their phone and scrolled through the contacts until they found the one they were looking for. Hanji hit dial and waited for the other person to answer.

“Hello?”

“Erwin, I’m in serious trouble.” Hanji stated.

“Hanji? What’s happened? Is everything okay?” Erwin asked, clearly worried.

“No, it is most definitely _not_ okay. Levi got a phone call from the police today. They believe that Farlan is going to try and kill Levi. The news, understandably, really upset him and I don’t know what to do.” Hanji explained.

“I’m coming over. I’ll pick up some wine and we’ll see what can be done.”

“Thanks Erwin. I really appreciate this.” Hanji said, relieved.

“I’ll see you soon.” Erwin finished hanging up.

Hanji walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch next to Levi. “Have you found anything interesting to watch?” He just shrugged. “I called Erwin. He’s bringing wine and the pizza should be here soon.” Levi nodded. Hanji sighed. “I know this whole situation is upsetting Levi, but you can’t just shut down and get locked away inside yourself or-“

“Or _what_?” Levi snapped. “Or I still won’t have the freedom to go out on my own? Or I’ll still have a crazy ex-boyfriend who wants to _kill_ me?” Levi chuckled darkly. “Or how about the fact that I really have _zero_ chance with Eren now?! Why would anyone want to be in a relationship with someone in my situation?”

Hanji’s eyes narrowed. “I know this whole situation is difficult-“

“Difficult is putting it lightly.” Levi sneered.

“ _But_ , don’t go belittling Eren’s feelings or opinions when you don’t even know what they are yet.” Hanji scolded. “He could really like you and he might not even care about this whole mess-“

“How could he not care?!” Levi snarled, jumping to his feet. “None of this shit is helping-God damn it!” A forceful knock interrupted the two bickering friends. Levi stalked to the door and threw it open. “ _What_?”

“Looks like someone’s acting a little more like himself.” Erwin stood there holding pizza and case of wine seemingly unfazed by Levi’s murderous expression.

“Oh good, Erwin’s here!” Hanji immediately brightened.

Erwin pushed past Levi into the apartment, leaving the shorter man to shut the door. “Yes, and I brought several bottles of wine and your pizza order from downstairs.”

“Leave the pizza on the kitchen island for now, but open the wine. I need a glass and Levi needs five.” Hanji said getting up from her spot on the couch.

“Can it, four-eyes.” Levi muttered.

“Not when it looks like we have Levi back!” They chirped.

Erwin popped the cork on one of the bottles and quickly filled the three glasses that Hanji had set out. “I will admit that I was worried when I got that phone call from Hanji, but in all honesty, I think you’re going to be fine.” Erwin added, sipping his wine.

Levi grumbled something incoherent in response.

“It’s a good thing, too! That way he can focus his efforts on sweet, little Eren.” Hanji said brightly.

“Oh, yes. Eren.” Erwin mused. “I heard from a little birdy that Eren was very happy after your visit.”

“Oh, really?” Levi asked, trying not to seem as interested as he really was.

“Spill, Erwin!” Hanji crowed. “I need details and so does Levi!”

Erwin chuckled. “I don’t have much since I couldn’t actually go and talk to the boy, but as far as I could tell, he had the biggest grin on his face the rest of the day.”

“This is perfect! Levi also has an excuse to be at the waterpark more often too.” Hanji was excited and an excited Hanji was not always a good thing.

“What do you mean, Hanji?” Erwin asked puzzled.

“Levi’s not allowed to be by himself because of you-know-who. He’ll need someone to drop him off and pick him up at work. I can’t pick him up because of lab work.” Hanji grinned mischievously and Erwin caught on.

Erwin turned to Levi. “So, I’ll be the one picking Levi up and since he’s not allowed to be alone, he’ll just _have_ to come back to work with me.”

Levi stared at the two of them. He was simultaneously praising and cursing the fact that these two people were his friends. “Honestly, with the way you two think, you could have taken over the world by now. So shut it and hand me the damn pizza.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love sassy Levi, don't you? Also, Erwin, Levi, and Hanji are may fave trio of friends. They just work so well together. Fun fact, when I started writing this fic, I was originally going to make Erwin the crazy ex, but I couldn't break up the friend group!
> 
> Thank you for the Kudos from MoimoiSweden, Ageha_Sakura, xXFluffedXx, Chunky_Tree, Twisted_Rue, Zeffeon, Captain_Bethany, and SpringWaltz. They are all very much appreciated. 
> 
> The comments from Emilda, Chunky_Tree, and Anime_121_eminA are also appreciated. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music if you ever want to talk to me or ask questions about the fic!
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	9. Pleasant Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday and Levi isn't in the best mood. For one thing, it's a Monday. He's also being forced to be driven around by his friends. Despite all that, something exciting is about to happen to him that will set new things in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! I said I would get another chapter up this week and here it is! Reading through this chapter and editing made me smile. I really like this chapter. I was trying to write another one today as well, but I've been lacking motivation all day. What can I do, it's fall break. Feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts. You don't even have to comment about the chapter if you don't want to. Hearing from the people reading my story makes me happy regardless of what it's about!
> 
> Also, be warned, there's noticeable use of the word 'fuck' and variations of that word in the first few paragraphs. How noticeable it is bothers me, but it's fitting and I didn't want to change it. 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ~MOLIM

Monday morning came far too soon for the occupants of the Zoe household. Levi groaned as he opened his eyes when his shrill alarm began to ring. He had fallen asleep on the couch, which wasn’t unusual since that was the arrangement in the first place, but he probably drank a little _too_ much for a Sunday night. Levi sat up and saw Hanji come stumbling out of their bedroom. They were an absolute mess and Levi could tell from the expression on their face that he probably wasn’t much better off.

“Coffee?” Hanji asked, moving into the kitchen. Levi didn’t even need to respond. They were both surprised to find an already full pot waiting for them, along with a note from Erwin saying that he had to leave early to get home and get ready for work.

“Fucking eyebrows.” Levi cursed. “How does he have his fucking shit together after what went down last night?”

“The man continues to amaze me.” Hanji added. They pulled two mugs down from the cupboard, filling them, and passing one to Levi, who took a generous gulp.

“Agreed. Ugh…how is it Monday already?”

Hanji smiled. “Don’t look so glum. At least you’ll be seeing Eren on a regular basis now!”

“Whoopie. I get to be shuttled around like some kind of little kid between divorced parents. I have absolutely no freedom even though I’m 28.” Levi deadpanned.

“Oh hush. Just go get ready for work, Frodo.” Hanji said, waving their hand.

“Hell no, you did not just call me a hobbit!” Levi growled.

“Suck it up, buttercup and go get ready! The sooner you get to work, the sooner you get to see Eren!” Levi glared at Hanji again, but walked towards the bathroom to get properly dressed anyway.

* * *

 

The work day was way too fucking long for Levi’s tastes. Despite trying to remain indifferent about going to Erwin’s waterpark, Levi couldn’t seem to do anything about the butterflies in his stomach at the prospect of seeing Eren again for the third day in a row. When Erwin texted him that he was waiting outside, Levi practically power-walked down to the man’s car. He got in with a huff, but Erwin didn’t move.

“Well?” Levi asked.

“Well what?” Erwin replied, smiling.

“Are you going to fucking drive or are we going to sit here for the rest of the day?” Levi said tightly.

“Eager are we?”

“Shut it, eyebrows.”

Erwin chuckled and pulled away from the curb in front of Levi’s office. The drive to the waterpark was silent and fairly quick.

“I mostly have meetings for the rest of the day and accounting to look over.” Erwin broke the silence as he pulled into the parking lot. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a spare office or anything for you to work in, but if you’d like, there are some tables by concessions where you can work.”

Levi raised his hand. “That’s fine. I have plenty to do anyway.”

The two men walked through the front gates. The park wasn’t incredibly crowded since it was a Monday evening. As much as Levi hated to admit it, he was looking for a certain brunette as he walked over to the clusters of tables by the food stand. He picked the cleanest one that he could find and set his briefcase down. Levi quickly pulled out his laptop and the files that he needed to continue his work. It wasn’t the most exciting thing, being an executive of advertising was no big deal, but the work was distracting enough.

Levi wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he heard a curious and hesitant “Levi?” The man looked up to find Eren standing in front of his table holding a pizza box and a bottle of water.

“Eren.” Levi was surprised, even if his voice didn’t give that away.

“What are you doing here?” Eren asked sitting down opposite the man, careful to avoid setting his food on top of the man’s files.

“I’m waiting for Erwin. He’s giving me a ride home. My car’s actually…out of commission.” Levi lied, knowing that Eren probably wouldn’t want to know the real reason.

“Sorry to hear that. Do you mind if I sit with you while I eat my dinner?”

There was no way in hell that Levi was about to refuse him. “Sure, if you don’t mind having dinner with a boring, old, business man.”

Eren laughed and Levi never wanted that sound to stop. “Oh please! You aren’t that old. Can’t be more than what? 24? 25?”

Levi smirked. “28.”

Eren gaped at him. “No, you’ve got to be lying!”

Levi’s smirk widened. “I swear I’m not.”

“Still not that old.” Eren pointed out.

Levi rolled his eyes and snorted. “Whatever you say, kid.”

* * *

 

The rest of Eren’s break was spent talking with Levi. The two had no problem bantering back and forth and Levi found the kid’s sarcasm endearing. The two were so engrossed in their conversation that Eren was almost late getting back to work. Levi chuckled as Eren scrambled to throw his trash away and hurry back to the lifeguard station. The man was still looking fondly after him that he didn’t notice when Erwin walked over.

“Levi…” Erwin began.

Levi whipped his head around to look at the newcomer. “Oh. It’s you Erwin.”

Erwin laughed. “Yes, it’s me. Sorry to disappoint you, but Eren wouldn’t be back so soon after going back to work.”

Levi scowled. “Did you need something, eyebrows?”

“No. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Do you have his number yet?” Levi glared up at the man standing next to him. “I’ll take that as a no. I’ll be done with my work in a bit and then we can go. Hanji should be back at the apartment by the time we get there.”

“Got it.” Levi said as Erwin walked away. Levi finished going through his paperwork and was packing it all back in his briefcase when Eren ran up to him.

“Levi…I-I don’t have much time.” He said between gasps for air. “But I’d like…um…I’d like to give you my phone number…that is…if you’re-uh-okay…with it…? I just…after I saw you on Saturday, I thought it might be helpful if you ever need someone to talk to or if you need help getting out of a dangerous situation…” Eren bit his lip, obviously nervous about his bold request.

Levi stared at the younger man, dumbfounded, for a few seconds before coming to his senses. “Yeah, Eren. Sure.” He said softly.

Eren grinned, handing him a slip of paper with a barely legible number written on it. “Text me, okay?” Levi nodded and Eren quickly hurried back to work. Levi just stared at the spot Eren had been a moment ago, a soft blush on his cheeks.

“Look who finally got Eren’s number!” Erwin said happily. Levi scowled at the taller man, stuffing the paper into his pocket.

“Shut it. Let’s go.” Levi grabbed his briefcase and walked past Erwin towards the front gate.

* * *

 

That night Levi sat on the couch staring at his phone. He had already entered Eren’s contact information, yet he still couldn’t believe the younger man had actually given it to him. Levi hadn’t worked up the nerve to text him yet and Hanji wasn’t being sympathetic to his cause.

“Levi…Levi…Levi…LEVI GOD DAMN IT TEXT HIM ALREADY!!” Hanji shouted at him.

“What do I say?” Levi asked calmly.

“For fuck’s sake! Levi Ackerman stop acting like a 14 year-old girl and text the boy. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just a text saying that’s your phone number.” Hanji said exasperated.

Levi nodded and began typing.

Levi: _Hey Eren, this is Levi. I was just texting to let you know this is my number._

Levi cringed before hitting send. He hated how awkward it sounded, but there was no helping it. He set his phone aside, not expecting a reply anytime soon, but within seconds it vibrated.

Eren: _Thanks, Levi! and u dont need to sound so formal. :P were just texting._

Levi smiled and quickly typed out a reply.

Levi: _I guess I’m just a shit texter then._

Eren: _:) u rnt tht bad…_

Levi: _I think you’re putting it lightly. My texting is the equivalent of the shit that came out of a dinosaur’s ass and has been fossilized for millions of years._

Eren: _shit jokes? Srsly??!!_

Levi: _Got a problem with shit jokes, brat?_ Levi smirked before hitting send.

The two of them continued in a similar manner for the next few hours. At one point, Hanji left Levi to be alone with his phone. He didn’t even notice them leave, to be honest. Levi wasn’t sure when it happened exactly, but he looked up to check the time and realized it was almost one in the morning. Levi groaned, _how had it gotten to be so late?_

Levi: _Eren…when did it get to be 1am?_

Eren: _shit n i have work tmrw too_

Levi: _I’ll let you go then, I guess…_

Eren: _yeah…see you later_

Eren: _nite_

Levi: _Goonight, Eren._

Levi locked his phone and set it on the coffee table next to the couch. He settled down under his blanket and drifted off to have one of the best night’s sleep he’s had in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww isn't that sweet? Eren and Levi are texting now. I'm so happy for those boys. They're so cute! Writing Eren's texts is super painful. Ugh, the grammar! 
> 
> The response I got on the last chapter was absolutely incredible!!! I just couldn't believe it when I checked my email the next day! Thank you to everyone who as read, commented, subscribed, bookmarked, and kudoed. 
> 
> It's that time again...
> 
> A few new guest left Kudos along with ILoveAnime. Thank you!
> 
> And thank you to those who left comments too! I respond to everyone who comments because they make me happy. Chapter 8's commenters: Chunky_Tree (now you've been mentioned three times!), awkwardlymehere, Danaixa, and Ageha_Sakura!
> 
> Again, thank you for reading!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	10. Chapter 10 (because I'm tired of chapter titles)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is a little tired after staying up all night texting Eren. It's business as usual, but Levi gets a reprieve from a certain green-eyed beauty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! I'm back! And I have a surprise for you! Not only am I giving you an update today, after almost two months off (sorry, school!), but I've made it my goal to post one chapter every week during the month of December! Shouldn't be too hard since my semester is almost over and I'll soon have lots of time to write during my break from school. 
> 
> As always, please comment and let me know how I'm doing!
> 
> If you'd like to find me on Tumblr, it's my-one-love-is-music!

Levi’s annoyingly high pitched alarm went off far too early for the man’s sake. He groaned and reached over to silence the offending piece of technology. Despite the few wonderful hours of sleep that he got, they were still not enough to satisfy Levi and prepare him for the day to come.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Hanji chirped from her place in the kitchen.

Levi groaned again. “Shut it, shitty glasses. I’m too tired for this.”

“Well if _someone_ hadn’t stayed up so late to talk to his boyfriend…” Hanji smirked.

“Fuck off, he’s not my boyfriend.” Levi said, getting off the couch, much to his back’s disdain, and moving into the kitchen to join Hanji.

“But you _want_ him to be.” Levi glared at his friend, but didn’t deny the accusation. They slid a mug across the kitchen island towards Levi. “Here’s some tea. I’ll get started on breakfast and you can take a shower.”

Levi drank half of his tea and moved towards the bathroom for his morning shower. He was too busy texting Eren the night before to take one, but no one needed to know that. The hot water worked miracles on Levi’s back, loosening up the tense knots that had formed there overnight. Once he finished, Levi steeped out, toweling off before pulling on his suit. He walked back to the kitchen and found an omelet waiting for him along with the remainder of his tea. Levi sat down across from Hanji, who was already cutting into their own food, some sort of vegan pancakes that they hadn't forced on him. Levi finished his tea before digging in.

He ate in silence as Hanji chatted between bites of food. They were updating him on the project they were working on, the one that he and Eren helped collect water samples for, but Levi was hardly paying attention. He was too busy thinking about the long day that he had ahead and how much work he’s going to have to go through until he sees Eren. The two friends finished their food rather quickly. They left their plates in the sink and left the apartment. Levi stayed silent during the walk to the parking garage since Hanji was still babbling away about their research.

The drive to Levi’s office was nothing spectacular. It never was. Hanji left Levi on the curb after quick goodbyes, leaving Levi to face the long day ahead. He took a deep breath before walking into the building. Levi made his way to the elevator and up to his office. Levi wasn’t usually the type to get excited about his work, but one of the perks of his job was his office. It was spacious despite not being very large, but what Levi really admired was the view. He could see out over the city towards the ocean. It was the perfect location to watch the sun set over the water, after all, he’d seen that many times after being stuck in the office until the late hours of the night.

Levi sat down at his desk and opened up his email, already groaning at the amount of work that he would have to endure. The staggering amount of mail in his inbox would’ve shocked most people, but Levi was used to it by now. Levi cracked his knuckles and began sorting through everything that was waiting for him. Part of the reason why he was so swamped was due to the new business with a large corporation. The deal was very important for both of the companies and Levi had to make sure that it all went perfectly. There was a lot of money invested in this project and he wasn’t about to half-ass something this big.

So went Levi’s workday. A constant stream of incoming emails that needed to be read and responded to along with his very large (and expensive) project. Levi interspersed tea breaks throughout the day to keep himself going and take a breather. He was about to make another said tea run when his phone buzzed. Levi looked at the message that popped up on his screen.

Erwin: _I’m waiting out front if you’re ready to go._

Levi checked the time and found that it was already 5pm. _Where had the day gone?_ Levi was so busy with work that he accidentally skipped lunch. He quickly tapped out a reply before gathering his things. After he locked his office, Levi headed to the elevators and made his way downstairs to Erwin. He’d only been in the car for a second before his stomach growled loudly.

Erwin chuckled. “Hungry?”

“I suppose I am. I managed to work through lunch without even realizing it.”

“You mean you haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast?” Erwin said, not as surprised as others might have been.

“Nope.”

Erwin pulled away from the curb. “Then let’s get back to the park and get something to eat.”

* * *

 

As hungry as Levi was after his day at work, he was not exactly fond of concession stand food. Levi looked over the menu again and grimaced. “Are these really all of my options?” Levi asked turning to Erwin.

“I know it’s not the best, but it’s the best I can do for now. We’ll just have to start keeping some food here for you. Can you forgive me this once? I am paying after all.” He said, smiling.

Levi sighed. “I suppose.” He directed his attention to the cashier before placing his order. “I’ll have a burger with fries and a water.”

The cashier nodded and smiled. “Right away sir! Your total is $5.79.” Erwin paid as Levi moved to the side to wait for his food.

“Levi,” Erwin said, getting the other man’s attention. “I’ve got to get back to work. I should be done in a few hours though.” Levi nodded and Erwin walked off, glancing over his shoulder every few steps causing Levi to roll his eyes at his friend.

After Levi got his food he went and sat down at the table from the day before. He refrained from unpacking his things because he was _not_ about to eat this greasy mess of fast food while going through _clean_ documents. Levi slowly unwrapped his hamburger before trying to eat it as neatly as possible. The grease that got on his fingers was absolutely disgusting and he tried not to look mortified at what he was doing as he ate.

“I never expected to see you eating the food here!” A cheerful voice said in front of him.

Levi looked to find Eren grinning at him, again holding a pizza box in his hand. “Yeah, well I normally wouldn’t eat here, but I forgot to eat lunch today.”

Eren frowned at that last comment. “That’s terrible, Levi! How could you forget to eat lunch?” Eren scolded as he seated himself across from the older man.

“It’s not my fault. I had a lot of work to do today.” Levi responded defensively. “It normally wouldn’t have been this bad, but since I’m in charge of this huge business deal, it’s put a shit ton of stuff on my plate.”

Eren smirked. “Well, I _suppose_ I could forgive you this one time…”

Levi rolled his eyes. “You act as though I forgot that we had a date or something.”

Eren’s eyes widened at Levi’s response and Levi himself was internally panicking at what he just said. Eren relaxed a moment later, however. “If you did though, I’d make you bring me flowers.”

Levi quirked an eyebrow. “Flowers, huh? I didn’t take you for that type of guy. Would a dozen roses suffice?”

Eren smiled. “Barely.”

Levi and Eren continued to banter back and forth as both men ate their dinner. Levi completely forgot about the work that he had waiting for him until Eren had to run back to work after almost being late (again). Levi sighed as he watched Eren’s quickly retreating back. He enjoyed spending time with the kid. It was nice compared to the shit he experienced every day. He hoped that things like this could continue between him and Eren.

Levi thought back to the beginning of their conversation and his joke about forgetting they had a date. If he ever did get the chance to go on a date with Eren, there was no way that he would be able to forget it. _A dozen roses, huh?_ Maybe that could serve as more than just an apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I would thank anyone who left kudos and comments here, but I'm a bit tired today. I'll see if I can start that up again next week, since I'm temporarily updating weekly. (If I miss an update, you have permission to call me mean names and demand an update out of me.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji convinces Levi that he should ask Eren out, but certain text message conversation might ruin all of Hanji's hard work...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are really starting to get good with this and I'm super excited for the next chapter. I think you all are going to like it! My finals are coming up next week and I'm so pumped to be done and to just sit down and write for once. I also had a wonderful experience helping FeartheKeira with her newest chapter of Shifting Sands. It's a Free! Omegaverse fic and if you aren't reading it you totally should!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments, they are always appreciated and you can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music. I'm always happy to chat or talk about things if you ever want someone to talk to or if you have questions about this fic!
> 
> ~MOLIM

The rest of the week for Levi was the same pattern of work, seeing Eren at the waterpark, texting Eren in the evenings, and finishing the work that he wasn’t doing when he was talking to/texting Eren. Needless to say, the lack of sleep was getting to Levi, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care when things were going so well with Eren. He wanted to do more than just see him every evening for his half hour break and text for several hours each night.

Levi wanted to be able to hold Eren’s hand. He wanted to hug him and kiss those beautiful, pink lips of his. Levi wanted to take the kid on dates and spoil him, because lord knows with his job he just _could_. It was strange for Levi to experience all of these feelings. He hadn’t had such strong desires when he was with Farlan. Levi was satisfied with just being with Farlan, but Eren was different and he wanted to do something about it, yet he was afraid to.

Levi groaned as he sat up on the couch. He really needed to get his work under control, no matter how much he desired to talk to Eren.

“Levi you should really get some more sleep. I know how much fun it is chatting with your boyfriend, but your health is just as important.” Hanji called from the kitchen.

He had to admit, Hanji had a point. The dark circles under his eyes had been getting worse over the course of the week. “I’m fine. It’s no big deal and Eren’s _not_ my boyfriend.”

“But you _want_ him to be.” Hanji smirked. Levi shot them a glare. “Just ask him out already, please? You’ve been texting him all week, you see him at Erwin’s work every night where the two of you eat dinner together-sheesh he’s almost late getting back to work every night because of you! There’s obviously an interest there so ask him out!”

“You make a valid point…” Levi began.

“But?” Hanji winced.

“But…what if you’re wrong?” Levi finished.

Hanji sighed, exasperated. “You just said I make a valid point. Need I remind you that I’m a scientist and making observations is my _job_? Besides, there’s always going to be some sort of risk involved with this. If you ask him and he says no, fine I was wrong. But if he says yes, then you get to go out with this guy you like.”

“I don’t know…”

“When does the waterpark close?” Hanji asked.

“It’s a Friday, so 9pm I think?”

“Erwin also leaves early on Friday. When you get back here, we are going to get you ready to ask this boy out and take you back to the waterpark at close so you can do it privately.” Hanji stated.

“Hanji…” Levi started.

“He said something about roses, right? We’ll stop by a florist and get you a bouquet. There’s no way that he’s going to be able to say no to you.”

Levi buried his face in his hands. “You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”

“Nope!” They said with a huge grin.

“I guess I have no choice…” Levi trailed off and Hanji cheered. Levi was a little glad that his friend was so persistent. He just hoped that it wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass.

* * *

 

Despite surviving the previous days on very little sleep, somehow, today seemed to be an exception. Levi was having a horrible time concentrating at work, but it didn’t have anything to do with his lack of sleep. Levi’s nerves kept getting worse and worse as the day wore on. He wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about asking Eren out tonight, but when he lashed out at Petra for asking if he wanted tea for the third time, he knew he needed to do something.

“I’m sorry, Petra. I didn’t mean to yell at you again, I’m just…stressed.” Levi apologized.

“It’s alright, Mr. Ackerman. This project must really be getting to you. Why don’t you go take a break in the lounge? I’ll bring you a cup of tea and you can unwind for a few minutes.” Petra offered.

Levi nodded and exited his office. Once he reached the lounge, he sat down on one of the available couches. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. Shortly thereafter, Petra came in with a mug of tea and handed it to Levi before leaving him in peace. Levi felt his phone buzz as he took his first drink and upon looking at the screen he nearly choked. He had a text message from Eren. Eren never texted him during the day.

Eren: _You’re going to be at the waterpark tonight, right? There’s something that I wanted to ask you._

Levi hesitated. He wasn’t sure what Eren wanted to talk about, but Erwin wasn’t going back to work after he picked Levi up. He was sure Erwin wouldn’t have a problem bringing him there to talk to Eren. Heck, the shithead would enjoy seeing that, but Levi wasn’t about to take advantage of Erwin driving him home. Besides, he was going to see Eren later anyway.

Levi: _Sorry Eren, but I won’t be there tonight. Erwin takes off early on Friday so I won’t need to go back to the waterpark with him tonight._

Eren: _Too bad. It can wait though, it’s not that important._

Levi: _Are you sure it’s not important? You did text me in the middle of the day asking if I was going to be there._

Eren: _Well, it is important, but it can wait until another day. It’s not time sensitive._

Levi: _Okay._

Eren: _Okay._

Eren: _I should let you get back to work._

As much as Levi was trying to calm himself down, his nerves were back with a vengeance. He wasn’t sure what Eren wanted to talk about, but he hoped that it wasn’t anything bad. _Oh God, what if he’s tired of me? What if he thinks talking to me is creepy since I’m so much older? Ugh, I knew asking him out was a bad idea. I should just not go. He’s not expecting me anyway. I knew this was a bad idea…_

With a sigh, and a slight pang in his chest, Levi picked up his tea and went back to his office. He resolved that he was just going to bury himself in his work. He wouldn’t ask Eren out and things would (hopefully) continue on as normal. Why screw up what he had when it was so obvious that Eren didn’t feel the same way?

* * *

 

After texting Eren, Levi was no longer a tense ball of nerves. He was, however, in a terrible mood. He was short-tempered and where he would usually be somewhat forgiving with minor mishaps, Levi was not patient in dealing with his co-workers at all. His co-workers weren’t sure which Levi they hated more. The tense, nervous Levi they could handle in order to try and remedy his mood, but when the man was as pissed as he currently was, there was no remedying the situation.

When Erwin came to pick Levi up, the short man stormed out of the office, allowing the atmosphere to immediately settle for the rest of the people there. Levi stomped out to Erwin’s waiting car and got in rather angrily. Erwin raised an eyebrow at Levi’s behavior.

“Is everything alright, Levi?” Erwin asked. “You don’t seem to be in a very good mood.”

“Fuck off.” He snapped.

Erwin put the car in gear and pulled out into traffic. “What happened? I thought Hanji was going to take you to ask Eren out tonight?”

Levi grunted. “I was going to, until I realized what a shitty idea it was. After all there’s no way Eren would feel the same way.”

“Hm.” Erwin responded, but didn’t say anything further. The drive was tense. Erwin could feel the anger rolling off of Levi and he knew it wouldn’t be smart to question him until later. Erwin hoped that the drive back to Hanji’s would allow Levi to calm down, but he wasn’t so lucky. Erwin parked his car and followed Levi up to the apartment. Erwin wasn’t sure how Levi managed to angrily take the elevator, angrily unlock the door, and angrily enter the apartment, but it was truly a sight to behold.

“Can you stop following me you fucking tree?!” Levi said, turning on him.

“No, because you are angrier than normal and this needs to be fixed.” Erwin stated calmly.

Levi aggressively rolled his eyes. “No shit, Captain obvious. Besides, there’s nothing to fix.”

“I highly doubt that. You always manage to cause yourself more trouble than necessary.”

Levi scowled and Erwin smirked. “Whatever. Do what you want.”

“I will.” Erwin said. The taller man moved over to Hanji’s couch and sat down, turning on the T.V. Levi took his things to the kitchen table and began working on his project. He couldn’t help but think that normally, he would have already set up shop at the waterpark and Eren would be having dinner with him. Levi sighed. He was drained after being so angry earlier. It was his own fault anyway, he shouldn’t be getting involved with a kid.

Levi picked up one of the many work files needed for his project when Hanji threw her door open. “LEVI!” They bellowed, catching the man by surprise. He almost threw his file across the room.

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Yes?” He said slowly.

“Erwin tells me that you’re not going to ask Eren out anymore! What did you do?”

“It’s just like you to assume that _I_ did something. How do you know Eren didn’t do something?”

Hanji adjusted their glasses. “What did Eren do then?”

“Nothing. He just made it very obvious that he didn’t feel the same way about me.” Levi explained.

“So you explained your feelings and he said he didn’t feel the same?” Hanji questioned.

“Not exactly.”

Hanji sighed and walked over to where Levi was sitting at the table. They picked up his phone and immediately went to look at Levi’s conversation with Eren. “Levi, you idiot!” They screeched, smacking him over the head.

“The fuck, Hanji?” Levi said, rubbing the back of his head. His anger was quickly returning.

“He wasn’t telling you that he doesn’t feel the same way about you!” They squeezed the bridge of their nose, exasperated. “You are so oblivious sometimes that I don’t even know how to handle you.”

“What?” Levi growled.

“He obviously wants to see you and disappointed that you wouldn’t be there tonight. If he didn’t feel the same way, he wouldn’t be disappointed.” Hanji quickly explained.

Levi froze, trying to process exactly what they had said. “Oh… _oh_!” Levi quickly got to his feet, checking the time. “Shit, I don’t even have the flowers. I bet all of the florists are closed, too.”

Hanji grinned. “Luckily I stopped on my way here.”

“Hanji, have I ever told you that you aren’t a complete shithead?”

Hanji’s grin widened. “Love you too, Levi.” Levi rushed out of the apartment with Hanji right on his heels. Erwin was left staring dumbfounded at the open doorway. He had absolutely no idea what had just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't that sweet?? Levi can be kind of an idiot though, just going and assuming things. He really needs to give Eren the benefit of the doubt on this one. Next chapter is actually going have Eren's point of view! I think some of you are going to be excited for that!!
> 
> Thanks for Ageha_Sakura, lostinlife, and Chunky_Tree for commenting on chapter 9.
> 
> Also, thanks for my chapter 10 commenters last week Ageha_Sakura, Chasing_Cars, and Chunky_Tree!
> 
> I really love everyone who comments because they always make my day knowing that someone out there is reading my work. I love all of you!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Eren learns that Levi won't be at the waterpark that night, his day goes to shit. It's stressful for him, we get an insight into what he's feeling. Once he gets home something interesting happens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo, so this chapter is in Eren's point of view as I'm sure many of you are probably excited for! Yay Eren! I'm currently on winter break. I got done with my semester earlier this week and I had so many hopes for break and I was gonna get so much writing done and submit an application for an internship with my local soccer team and uh. I have done none of that. Hopefully I'll get some motivation soon though, aye? 
> 
> As always, comment and let me know how I'm doing, it's always appreciated!
> 
> If you'd like to find me on tumblr it's: my-one-love-is-music
> 
> ~MOLIM

**Eren's POV**

Eren’s week had been going extremely well for once. Sure, there were still a large amount of assholes and annoying little kids he had to deal with each day, but it seemed easier and less bothersome since he got to hang out with Levi each night. Eren enjoyed their conversations together. It was easy for them to talk about anything and Eren loved Levi’s sense of humor. Other people seemed to find it crass and inappropriate, but Eren found it very appealing. The young man thought things were going well between the two. Levi’s bruises had faded and Eren was glad to see that no more appeared. At least Levi was staying away from his abusive ex.

Eren knew he liked Levi when they first met, but Eren’s feelings continued to get stronger the more time the two spent together. Eren wasn’t entirely sure what Levi’s exact feelings were, but he was fairly certain that Levi felt the same way. Eren thought things were going so well that he felt ready to ask Levi out that Friday. He was filled with so much nervous excitement that he texted Levi in the middle of the day, something he’d never done before.

Levi: _Sorry Eren, but I won’t be there tonight. Erwin takes off early on Friday so I won’t need to go back to the waterpark with him._

Eren stared at the reply that Levi had sent him. He felt a crushing disappoint settle in his stomach. He tried to cheer himself up. It was a Friday after all, and Eren would see Levi again next week. He just couldn’t help thinking that if Levi were to say yes, they could’ve gone out his weekend. Eren sighed and typed out a reply.

Eren: _Too bad. It can wait though, it’s not that important._

Levi: _Are you sure it’s not important? You did text me in the middle of the day asking if I was going to be there._

Eren’s heart soared at Levi’s words. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips no matter how disappointed he felt.

Eren: _Well, it is important, but it can wait until another day. It’s not time sensitive._

Levi: _Okay._

Eren: _Okay._

Eren: _I should let you get back to work._

Eren put his phone away and got back to work. After learning that Levi wouldn’t be there that night, his day quickly began going downhill. There were far, far too many little kids running around for Eren’s taste. It seemed that no matter how many times Eren or the other guards would blow their whistles, the kids would just not listen. It also didn’t help that the parents of said kids were letting them run around in the first place without adult supervision.

Eren huffed after having stopped a child for probably the hundredth time that day and told them to walk. He was really dreading the rest of the day and wanted to go home. Home held the promise of a quiet atmosphere, a comfortable couch, and some tea to help him unwind after such an unpleasant day. He knew Armin and Mikasa would want to do the same thing tonight as well. Eren checked his watch. _Six more hours to go._ His relief was short-lived, however, as another kid took off running right in front of him.

* * *

 

When Eren finally got his next break, he was more relieved than ever. He still had three more hours to go until the park closed, but he was just happy to be away from the pools, even if it was only for thirty minutes. After buying his daily pizza from the concession stand, Eren turned to the groups of tables dotting the area. His change in mood was far too brief when Eren scanned the tables and remembered that Levi wasn’t there tonight. Instead of sitting in the same area as the patrons, Eren went back to the lifeguard station to eat.

“I think this is the first time I’ve seen you eat in here all week.” Hannes commented.

Eren shrugged. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

Hannes frowned. “What’s up, kid?”

_Kid._ That single word reminded Eren too much of Levi. _When had everything started to remind me of him?_ “It’s nothing really. I’ve just had a long day and I got some disappointing news earlier.”

“Does this disappointing news have anything to do with your new friend?”

Eren looked at Hannes in shock. “How…how did…”

Hannes waved away Eren’s disbelief. “It was a bit obvious after Erwin _specifically_ requested you help his friends on Sunday.”

“Oh.” Eren frowned.

“But if you really are tired, I can let you go immediately after close. We have enough people to clean up that you won’t be missed.”

Eren smiled, grateful that his boss was so understanding. “Thanks Hannes.”

* * *

 

The last three hours of Eren’s shift just seemed to keep getting worse and worse. He was completely fed up with people and just wanted to get out of the waterpark to be alone. It was so bad that Eren was actually openly scowling once the signal was given to shut down. Eren was never one to scowl. He quickly left his station and headed into the guard room. He threw down his tube and tore off his hip pack, almost running into Mikasa in the process.

“Eren is everything alright?” She asked, clearly worried, but when was she not worried about Eren?

“I’m fine. I just really want to get home. This day has been shit.”

Mikasa frowned. “Did Levi do something? I know you were really excited to see him today.”

Damn Mikasa for knowing him so well. “No, he didn’t do anything.” He pushed past her to collect his things. “Hannes told me I could leave early. I’ll see you back at the apartment.”

“Okay.” Mikasa watched as he grabbed his things and stalked out of the guard station and out of the park.

Eren pulled out his car keys and made his way to the employee parking lot. On Fridays Eren usually drove separately from Mikasa and Armin. It wasn’t uncommon for him to go out with his co-workers, but he was just happy he could get home in peace tonight. Eren climbed into his old, beat-up Ford. It wasn’t the best car, but it was what he could afford on his budget. It took a few tries to get the engine to start, but when it did, Eren pulled out of his space and left the parking lot to get home.

The drive was nothing exciting, but the monotony of it helped to calm Eren’s frayed nerves. He pulled into his complex’s parking and left his car in favor of the building. Eren was thankful not to run into anyone and gave a sigh of relief once he was safely inside his front door. He walked to his bedroom to change. He peeled off his swim trunks and pulled on a pair of sweats and a soccer jersey. Eren walked out of his room and went to the kitchen. He put the kettle on and prepared a mug of tea for himself.

Eren took his mug to the living room and sank into the couch. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and was about to take his first drink when someone knocked on the door. Eren was prepared to just ignore whoever it was and turned his attention back to his tea. The person knocked again, more forcefully this time.

“God damn it…” Eren muttered. He stood up from the couch, carefully leaving his tea on the table. He made his way to the door as the knocking continued. “What?!” Eren answered, yanking the door open. His mouth fell open at the sight awaiting him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Baby not having a good day at work. I know all too well what it's like to experience such things and it's not pleasant. Who could be waiting at the door? It's a mystery that will soon be solved next week. I also got a fun surprise tonight, for Christmas my family is going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Studios. We leave Wednesday and won't get back until Sunday. I'm super excited for the trip and think I might post the next chapter early. If not, then I'll try and get it up Sunday and Monday at the latest.
> 
> Thank you to Chunky_Tree and Ageha_Sakura! The two of you are too sweet for leaving comments each week! I love hearing that you're enjoying my fic, it definitely means a lot to me!
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr and talk about whatever. I always enjoy interacting with people and learning about others over the internet.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji gets Levi's ass to the waterpark only to find that Eren isn't there. With the help of Armin, they race to Eren's apartment hoping to find the young man there and get this issue resolved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is up so late! I had planned to upload it on Wednesday before I left for vacation and then I forgot and I got back Sunday and just had no motivation to do it and I have no excuses for yesterday. I was just being incredibly lazy honestly. 
> 
> But here is the newest chapter (back in Levi's point of view) and there will still be an update on Saturday as well! Last week I was more focused on getting my Ereri secret Santa out. So if you'd like to read that, you can find it under my other works. It's called Until I Find You.
> 
> So, without further ado, here you go! :)
> 
> ~MOLIM

**Levi's POV**

Hanji and Levi practically ran out of the apartment and to Hanji’s car. Both individuals scrambled inside and Hanji threw a bouquet into Levi’s lap. “Oh these are really nice.” He commented.

  
“I know, aren’t they?” Hanji said calmly, even though they were frantically backing out of the parking spot. They put the car in drive and peeled out of the parking lot. “How much time do we have?”

  
“About twenty minutes. Damn it, we’re going to be late.” Levi groaned.

  
“Well if _someone_ wasn’t being an angry, little leprechaun…” Hanji said pointedly.

  
Levi glared at them. “I’m going to pretend that you did _not_ just call me a little leprechaun.”

  
Despite trying their best to hurry, the two friends weren’t able to make it to the waterpark any faster than the usual allotted thirty minutes it took to get there. Levi jumped out of the car before it even stopped moving, forgetting the roses in his haste. The lifeguards were already filing out of the front gate, but Levi didn’t see Eren among them. An Asian girl and a blond boy saw him standing there and walked over.

  
“You must be Levi.” The girl said, venomously.

  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “And you are…?”

  
“I’m Armin and she’s Mikasa.” The blond interjected. “We’re Eren’s friends.”

  
“Ah. Speaking of Eren…where is he?” Levi asked.

  
“If you must know-“ Mikasa began.

  
“Mikasa, why don’t you go wait in the car?” Armin interrupted Mikasa. She grit her teeth, but did as she was asked. “Sorry about that.” Armin said turning to Levi. “She’s a bit protective of Eren.”

  
“I can see that.” Levi said, wearily eyeing Mikasa’s retreating back. “Where’s Eren?”

  
“He left early. He wasn’t in a very good mood because of a certain someone.”

  
Levi groaned. “It’s not my fault that Erwin leaves early on Fridays. I wasn’t able to come after work, but I’m here now.”

  
“And unfortunately, Eren isn’t.” Armin reminded him.

  
“Can you tell me where he is? I have something that I really need to ask him.”

  
Armin smiled. “He really likes you, you know?”

  
Levi’s heart skipped a beat at Armin’s words. “Really?” Levi asked, not quite willing to believe what the boy was saying.

  
“Yes, and I can see that you care for him as well. He’s at our apartment. I’ll try and keep Mikasa occupied as long as possible, but I can’t make any promises.” Armin gave Levi the address to their place.

  
“Thanks.” Levi said curtly.

  
“Just go ask him out already.” Armin said, waving him off.

  
Levi gave him a nod and jumped back into Hanji’s car. They made a quick 180 and tore out of the parking lot, heading towards Eren’s apartment. Levi was jittery in the car. His nerves were getting the better of him after everything that had happened that day.

  
“Calm down, Levi. It’s going to be fine.” Hanji tried to reassure him.

  
“Hm.” Levi returned.

  
All too soon they were pulling into the parking lot next to the complex. Despite how bold he was at the waterpark, Levi couldn’t manage to get out of Hanji’s car.

  
“Go, Levi.” Hanji prodded.

  
He nodded, slowly stepping out of the passenger side.

  
“Don’t forget these.” Hanji said, holding up the roses.

  
Levi nodded again and took the roses. He walked over to the entrance and took a deep breath before walking in. The complex was nothing spectacular. It was obviously inhabited by college kids, but you couldn’t do much better on the type of budget that they were living off of. Levi slowly made his way up the steps to Eren’s floor, attempting to calm his racing heart with each breath. Once he found himself in front of the right door, Levi gave a few quick raps.

  
Levi didn’t hear any movement inside, but he was sure that Eren had to be home. He knocked more forcefully. He’d be damned if he was forced to leave before Eren even opened the door. He heard a muffled “God damn it.” Soon after the door was yanked out from underneath his hand.

  
“What?!” Eren practically snarled. His eyes widened when he took in Levi standing there, roses in hand. “What?” Eren repeated, softer this time.

  
Levi would have been content to just stare at Eren all day. His soccer jersey was baggy, but it looked better than Levi ever thought a jersey could look. It didn’t help that his sweats hung low on his hips and Levi’s fingers were itching to rip them off. Levi cleared his throat. He’d come here for a reason, he reminded himself.

  
“Eren, I’m sorry if I upset you today. I didn’t mean to do that and I would very much like it if you would go out with me.” Levi said, holding out the bouquet.

  
Eren just stared back at him. “I must be dreaming.” He muttered.

  
“This is very much happening.” Levi assured.

  
Eren’s face broke into a wide grin, much more fitting than the scowl he was wearing moments ago. He took the roses out of Levi’s hands. “Roses, huh?”

  
“Is that a yes?” Levi asked.

  
“It is very much a yes. I would be very happy to go out with you.” Eren looked back down at the roses and blushed.

  
“Well since I’m here, what did you want to ask me?”

  
“Huh?” Eren responded, clearly confused.

  
“You texted me asking if I’d be at the waterpark today because you had something to ask me.” Levi reminded him.

  
Eren’s blush deepened. “It’s not important anymore.”

  
“Are you sure? It seemed pretty important.” Levi said, incredulously.

  
Eren laughed. “I actually wanted to ask you out today too.”

  
Now it was Levi’s turn to blush. He looked away from Eren.

  
“Would you like to come in?” The question surprised Levi, but he nodded nonetheless. Eren moved out of the doorway and Levi walked in. “You can have a seat on the couch.” Eren said as he moved into the kitchen to find a vase for the flowers.

  
“You drink tea?” Levi asked.

  
“Yeah, not very often though. It helps me unwind after shitty or stressful days. Would you like some?”

  
“Very much.” Levi said.

  
Eren put the kettle back on before pulling down a vase. He filled it with water and placed the roses inside. He left the vase on the counter to be moved later and busied himself preparing Levi’s tea. When it was finished, Eren joined Levi on the couch, handing the older man his mug before picking up his own. Both men sipped at their tea as silence enveloped the apartment. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but neither of them knew what to say or how to move forward.

  
“So…” Eren began.

  
“Yes?” Levi asked.

  
“Where-“ The front door slammed open, cutting off what Eren was about to say. He and Levi turned to the front door to see who caused the commotion. Mikasa stormed in, the fury evident on her face.

  
“Eren, that pint-sized bast-“ Mikasa immediately cut herself off as she spotted Levi and Eren on the couch. She narrowed her eyes while Armin wearily entered the apartment after Mikasa.

  
“Sorry Levi, we didn’t think you’d still be here.” Armin apologized.

  
“Don’t bother apologizing Armin. I should get going anyway. Thank you for the tea, Eren.” Levi stood, (sadly) leaving his mostly full mug behind on the table. He walked past Armin and Mikasa and made it to the door before he felt a hand wrap around his wrist. Levi turned, confused, and found Eren to be the owner of the hand.

  
Eren bit his lip. “Thank you for the roses, Levi.” He murmured to keep Armin and Mikasa from overhearing. “I’ll text you?”

  
“Yeah. See you.” Levi said. Eren still didn’t release his hold on the older man. “You’re going to have to give me my hand back, Eren.”

  
“O-oh right.” Eren said sheepishly, quickly pulling his hand away.

  
Levi smirked, but said nothing else before walking out. He heard the apartment door shut behind him. Immediately loud voices could be heard inside, but Levi was unable to make out what they were saying. He couldn’t find it in himself to care that they were probably arguing about him because he was much too happy with the fact that Eren had agreed to go out on a date with him.

  
Levi must’ve looked rather pleased with himself, for when he got back into Hanji’s car they smirked at him. “Everything went well, I take it?”

  
“Just drive four-eyes.” He responded, rolling his eyes.

  
They smiled maniacally, but started the car nonetheless. As the two pulled out of the parking lot and zoomed down the street, Levi felt his phone buzz. He pulled it out and checked the text he just received.  
  
Eren: _I literally cannot handle my sister right now._

Before Levi could tap out a reply, he got another text, and another. They just kept coming.

Eren: _I don’t think she’s ever yelled at me this much._

Eren: _I apologize in advance for any hearing loss that I may experience during our date._

Eren: _Scratch that. I may not even be alive for our date._

Levi: _I’m sure there are plenty of things we could do that don’t require any hearing on your part._

Levi left the ambiguity of his message and smirked as Eren typed out a frantic reply. His smirk widened as the messages just kept coming, but for an entirely different reason this time.

Eren: _Levi what do you mean??_

Eren: _Levi answer me?_  
  
Eren: _Levi come on! You can’t just leave me in the dark like this!!!!_

Eren: _LEEEEEEEEEVVVVVIIIIII!!!!!!!!_

Eren: _Mikasa just stole my phone and she’s pissed._

Eren: _You might be the one who’s not alive for our date instead of me._

Eren: _Levi, this is Mikasa. If you try anything funny, I will murder you._

A wonderful sense of amusement settled over Levi at confusing the two siblings. Levi didn’t bother responding to the two and just allowed them to come up with their own scenarios. He was really looking forward to this date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally those two losers are together. It's been too long of a wait, am I right?
> 
> As always, thank you to my commenters last week Chunky_Tree and Ageha_Sakura! I'm glad the two of you and everyone else is enjoying the fic!
> 
> Feel free to comment and let me know what you're thinking or come find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music. I'm always happy to chat so feel free to stop by and let me know how you're doing.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's a little shit, but Levi finds it amusing. Being far too excited and nervous for his upcoming date, sleep is elusive for Levi. He stays up late and makes some tea. Cake becomes involved and so does Hanji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2016 everyone!! I hope you all did fun things to ring in the new year. I feel like I just updated, which I kind of did because of my vacation and all. It's hard to believe that I only have one more week of vacation before I have to go back for spring semester. It should be fun though!
> 
> Monday I actually have an interview for an internship with my local football (soccer for Americans, strange since I'm American) club. I'm super excited and hope that I get this internship. I literally don't even care what they have me do, honestly, I just want to me involved in the strides that the team is making and the progress they've had with establishing themselves and promoting the sport where I live.
> 
> Anyways...enjoy this new chapter and feel free to comment and let me know what you're thinking!
> 
> ~MOLIM

By the time Levi and Hanji got back to the apartment, the flurry of texts had slowed down. Levi assumed it was because Mikasa had finally calmed down over the fact that Levi had asked Eren out. After Hanji gave the situation some thought, the two deemed it safe for Levi to reply to the sheer amount of texts that were sent in such a short period of time.  
  
Levi: _So, about our date…_

Eren: _Yeah…no._

Levi: _What do you mean “no?”_

Eren: _You left me here with a very pissed Mikasa and didn’t respond to any of the texts that I sent you, so I take back my earlier answer._

Levi: _If you insist. I guess I’ll just have to go out to dinner all by myself._

Eren: _Good. Go suffer by yourself in some fancy ass restaurant._

Levi: _I’ll make sure to order the most expensive entrée there is and order a few bottles of very good wine. I may even have dessert. Perhaps something chocolate…_

Eren: _Levi…_

Levi: _And then, when I’m done with something splendidly chocolate and after having a little too much to drink, I’ll head to a hotel. It’s too bad that I’ll have to spend a whole night by myself in such a big hotel room._

Eren: _…_

Eren: _I fucking hate you right now._

Levi: _I take it you’re still coming then?_

Eren: _When and where?_

Levi: _I’ll pick you up at your apartment at 7._

Eren: _Okay._

Levi: _And wear something nice._

Eren: _I thought that was implied._

Levi: _Just making sure you know. Wouldn’t want you throwing a temper tantrum over not meeting the restaurant’s standards._

Eren: _I’m a little too old to be throwing tantrums._

Levi: _Kids like you are never too old for tantrums._

Eren: _I’m 19!_

Levi smirked at how easy it was to rile Eren up.

Levi: _There you go throwing a tantrum. Still a kid._

Eren: _Fucking hate you_

Levi: _I’m pretty sure you don’t._

Eren: _Shut up._

Eren: _I’m done talking to you._

Despite Eren’s belief that he “really was” done talking to Levi, the two managed to stay up far later than planned texting each other. Even if they hadn’t been texting each other, Levi doubted that he would’ve gotten much sleep otherwise. The mixture of excitement and nervousness that he felt were wreaking havoc on him. Hanji had already been in bed for a few hours when Eren finally told Levi that he needed to go to bed. Levi said he should do the same, but he knew that he was going to be up far longer.

  
Levi put his phone down beside him on the couch and got up to go into the kitchen. He put the kettle on and began preparing his tea. Levi didn’t mind staying with Hanji in the slightest, but it was times like these when he wished he was back in his own apartment. Levi missed his tea stockpile, along with cabinet full of cookies that went well with each of his various teas. _Shit, I could really use some cookies right now._ The kettle whistled and Levi poured the boiling water into his mug to allow the drink to steep.

  
He then turned his attention to Hanji’s various cabinets in search of something sweet to fight off the intense cookie craving he was experiencing. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything already made, but Levi was fortunate enough to find a box of cake mix and a tub of frosting. Knowing that he wasn’t about to get a lot of sleep anyway, Levi began pulling out the necessary ingredients for the cake. The mindless activity of preparing the cake was enough to ward off the nerves harboring in Levi’s stomach.

  
There was something calming about making a cake at one in the morning. After thoroughly mixing the batter until it was silky smooth, Levi poured the chocolaty mixture into the waiting pan and promptly slid it into the oven. Levi set the timer and moved the bowl and spoon he was using to the sink.

  
“Levi?” A sleepy voice asked from behind him.

  
Levi turned. “Hanji, why aren’t you asleep?”

  
Hanji grinned. “I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Bakes a cake at one in the morning.”

  
Levi rolled his eyes. “What’s so wrong with cake in the middle of the night?”

  
“Nothing, nothing. I just don’t remember you doing something like this since our college days.”

  
“I was awake and wanted something sweet. You didn’t have cookies so we’re getting cake. Sue me.” Levi said, turning back to the dishes in the sink. He turned on the tap and began the steady process of filling the large basin.

  
“What’s up?” Hanji said, interrupting the sound of water running.

  
“Huh?” Levi asked confused.

  
“Did I fucking stutter?” Hanji quipped, no trace of anger or exasperation in their voice. “What’s. Up. There must be something going on if you can’t sleep and have to resort to making cakes in the middle of the night.”

  
Levi didn’t answer at first, but began lathering dish soap on a cloth and scrubbing the dishes. “Excited.” He punctuated. “Can’t sleep.” He added a moment later. Levi quickly finished the few dishes he was doing and placed them in the drain-board. He turned back to face Hanji, who was watching him intently.

  
“Is there another reason why you’re having trouble sleeping?” Hanji pressed.

  
Levi stared at them. “If you’re suggesting that I’m worried about Farlan, no, I’m not worried about him.” Levi frowned. “Honestly, I haven’t even thought about him since earlier this week.”

  
Hanji wore a melancholic expression. “I’m glad, both for this new opportunity and the fact that you’re not letting that jerk have any more control over your life.”

  
“Damn straight.”

  
Hanji just shook their head. “Don’t go trying to act all cool. You’re a 28-year-old advertising exec, not one of those hip kids of today, yo.”

  
Levi winced. “At least I’m not the one saying things like hip and yo.” The oven timer began to beep. “ _But_ I’m the one who has a cake fresh from the oven…”

  
“…which you’re obviously going to share with me.”

  
“I suppose I don’t have much of a choice since the cake mix is yours.”

  
Hanji grinned. “I’ll get the plates.”

  
Levi and Hanji didn’t even bother to frost the cake. They both took slices of the still very hot and steaming cake and scooped large dollops of frosting on to the plate as well. The two friends moved to the couch. Hanji picked up the remote to turn on the T.V.

  
“Suggestions?” They asked, opening up Netflix.

  
“Something funny.” Levi said, taking a large bite of cake.

  
“Good funny, or `shit this is terrible’ funny?” They asked, looking for confirmation.

  
“Either. I’ll trust your opinion.”

* * *

 

Several pieces of cake and one _Monty Python and the Holy Grail later_ , Hanji and Levi found themselves staring at an empty cake pan at three AM.

  
“We need more cake.” Levi said, obviously disappointed to be out of wonderful chocolate.

  
“There’s still some frosting left. Want to split it?” Hanji suggested.

  
“Yeah, let’s go for it.” Levi said taking a spoon and evenly dividing up what was left in the tub. “You need to keep more cake in your house.”

  
“Well excuse me. It’s not every night I’m up eating cake. I don’t know what your life is like and, hey, I won’t judge, but midnight cake escapades aren’t usually on my list of daily activities.”

  
“They should be.” Levi muttered.

  
“There might be a 24-hour convenience store around here. Do you want to get more cake?” Hanji said, shoving half of thier frosting into their mouth.

  
“No, but we should stock up for next time.”

  
“Next time? So, I should expect more nights like this?” Hanji questioned.

  
Levi just shrugged and Hanji yawned. “You should go back to bed.” Levi noted.

  
“I suppose I can, now. I just didn’t want to leave you all alone by yourself to have to eat that cake.” Hanji tried to look awake and energetic, but the exhaustion was clear on their face.

  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Just go to bed.” Hanji didn’t protest as they walked back to their room. Once Levi hear their door close, he turned back to the dishes on the counter. He wasn’t sure if it was the cake or the fact that it was 3 AM, but Levi suddenly felt completely drained. _Maybe midnight baking had its perks after all._ Levi (shockingly) turned away from the mess and moved back to the couch. He pulled his blanket over him and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Levi's sweet tooth. Definitely one of my favorite traits to write him with! Also, if you haven't watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you should. My favorite scene from the entire movie involves the black knight and his flesh wound. If you don't, or can't, watch the movie, just go look up that one scene on youtube. It's absolutely fantastic! 
> 
> As always, thank you to Chunky_Tree for commenting last week.
> 
> It's also mind-boggling that this fic has 99 kudos. 99! That's one away from 100! I'm absolutely amazed and am so, so grateful to everyone that has read this so far and left kudos. It really means a lot to me, it does! I also learned earlier this week that 42 people have subscribed. I nearly started crying because, fucking hell, 42 of you are getting my updates sent straight to your inbox! I wish I could come and hug all of you! 
> 
> As always, you can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music.
> 
> Thank you so much!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending a week cramped in buildings and shuffled around by people, Levi finally makes it out of the house to get in some much needed exercise. Unfortunately, and as seems to be happening a lot with Levi lately, things just don't seem to completely go his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Hello! Jeez...I can't believe it's already time for another update. Also, I've gotten over 100 KUDOS!!!! Ugh! I love you all so much! <3 <3 <3
> 
> Honestly I almost forgot about this update since I've been up to my eyeballs reading JayTim fics for the past two days. But, I'm here and I made it. In this chapter we get to see some boxer!Levi (which I LOVE!) and his more vulnerable side again. 
> 
> I can't believe that my break is almost over. I start classes again on Monday which will hopefully go really well! I'm excited for this semester and I think that it'll be a good one. I'm also hoping to keep regular updates since that will actually make me work on this fic. 
> 
> As always, feel free to give me some feedback and let me know how I'm doing! It's always appreciated!
> 
> ~MOLIM

Despite being up until 3 AM, and it being a Saturday, Levi found it difficult to sleep in past 8 AM. He cracked his eyes open and groaned, the sunlight peeking through the shades momentarily blinding him. Accepting his fate that he was going to be very tired today, Levi threw the blanket off of himself and left the couch. He turned to face the kitchen and was surprised to find it lacking a certain glasses-wearing scientist. Levi looked down the hallway to where Hanji’s room was located and found the door to still be closed. _She must be pretty tired after being woken up in the middle of the night._

  
Levi shrugged to himself and moved over to the stove, trying to make as little noise as possible and not wanting to disturb his sleeping friend. He put the kettle on in order to make his standard morning tea. As he waited for the water to boil, Levi found his previous night’s anxiousness and excitement returning. It was going to be a long day before he would get to see Eren and he knew a heavy distraction was going to be needed. The kettle began to whistle, pulling Levi from his thoughts. He removed it from the stove and poured the hot water into his waiting mug.

  
Levi’s eyes flicked over to where the dishes from last night’s escapade sat. _I suppose I can start by cleaning those up._ It wasn’t much, only the plates and cutlery the two friends has used, but it kept Levi busy long enough to let his tea cool. Levi moved over to sit at the kitchen island with his mug. The silence in the apartment was comforting, although it made Levi yearn for his own apartment. He’s almost certain that he would’ve taken his tea onto the balcony if he’d been there. Levi sighed, taking tentative sips of his tea.

  
Levi knew that he was going to need a distraction for the remainder of the day. He knew Hanji probably wouldn’t mind if he borrowed their car. There was only one place where he would go that would sufficiently distract him and that was the gym. He wasn’t a professional boxer by any means, but he’d had a few lessons and mindlessly beating a bag for a few hours was incredibly appealing. He hadn’t been to the gym in over a week with the recent events that had occurred and Levi not having access to a car. If he wasn’t careful he’d get out of shape and practice.

  
Levi finished his tea and placed the empty mug in the kitchen sink. He moved over to his bag that was sitting next to the couch, intending to get his workout clothes only to realize that he didn’t have them. _That’s right. I didn’t pack any when I left my apartment._ Levi picked up his phone off of the coffee table and opened up his contacts. He found Mike’s contact information and placed his call. The officer picked up on the fourth ring.

  
“Officer Zacharius.” He answered.

  
“Hello Officer, sorry to bother you so early, but this is Levi Ackerman.”

  
“Mr. Ackerman! Is everything alright? I haven’t spoken with you all week.” Mike asked, concerned.

  
“Yes, everything is perfectly fine. I was wondering if it would be okay for me to stop by my apartment and pick up a few things that I forgot.”

  
“Yes, of course it’s okay.” The other man responded, relaxing. “I’ll call Eld and let him know that you’ll be stopping by.”

  
“Thank you.” Levi paused. “I really appreciate this.”

  
“Don’t worry about it. Stay safe.” Mike finished, ending the call.

  
Levi put his phone into his pocket and moved back into the kitchen. He pulled a pad of paper and a pen from one of the many drawers and scratched out a note for Hanji, explaining where he was going. Levi picked up the car keys from the table next to the door, slipped on his shoes, and was off. When he stepped out of the apartment, he was met with a surprisingly crisp breeze for the middle of the summer. It was refreshing nonetheless and put Levi in a good mood towards the day to come. He made quick work of getting Hanji’s car and began working his way towards his apartment. 

* * *

 

It was a strange feeling for Levi, returning to his apartment after not being in it all week. He expected so many things to be different from then to now, but it was exactly how he left it. Levi wasn’t sure yet if he should be grateful that the police officers hadn’t screwed up his apartment, or saddened by the fact that it was almost as if he hadn’t left. Regardless, Levi made quick work of picking up the necessary items for the gym. He stuffed several pairs of athletic tees and shorts into a backpack, along with his boxing gloves and sneakers.

  
Levi left his apartment as quickly as he had entered, barely acknowledging Eld, who’d been waiting for him. His pace was quick as he made his way back to Hanji’s car. His anxiousness was increasing and Levi’s urge to get to the gym was becoming unbearable. He tossed his backpack into the passenger seat before whipping the car around in the opposite direction to get to his gym. The trip was a short one, the gym not being very far from Levi’s apartment. On any regular day, Levi would have walked there, but with the current circumstances…it wasn’t quite a regular day.

  
After pushing the doors open and taking in the familiar scent, Levi relaxed. He nodded towards Petra, who was working the check-in desk. She smiled in return, seemingly pleased to see Levi again.

  
“Levi!” A booming voice called from behind him.

  
Levi turned to find the owner, Pixis, smiling as he approached the shorter man. “Pixis.”

  
Pixis released a booming laugh. “I haven’t seen you in a week and that’s all I get?” Levi shrugged. “I suppose that’s good enough. What’s been keeping you? If you stay away too long, you’ll get out of practice.”

  
“Some things have come up and I haven’t really had access to a car. I’m here now though, ready to work out some excess energy.”

  
Pixis nodded sagely. “I see. Well feel free to have your pick of bags and I’m sure there’s more than one eager person willing to get in the ring with you.”

  
“Thanks.” Levi walked into the changing rooms. He pulled out one of his tees and a pair of shorts and quickly changed before throwing the rest of his things, minus the gloves, into one of the many lockers available. Levi walked out of the locker room and made his way over to one of the many waiting punching bags. He carefully wrapped his hands and slipped on the gloves before pausing to take a deep breath and stretched out his muscles. Levi closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he re-opened them there was an unmistakable fire within them that would have any opponent second guessing themselves. At the moment, however, his opponent was an emotionless bag of sand.

  
Levi took his first swing, reveling in the feeling of his hand hitting something solid and the bag giving a little. He didn’t get a large amount of swing on his first hit, but it was just that, a first hit. Levi grit his teeth before releasing several more punches and a few hooks. He quickly found his focus, not noticing anything going on around him. Levi’s mind was free of all thoughts. It was just him, the bag, and the sweat quickly forming on his skin. He didn’t notice the lingering gazes that other patrons gave him or the hesitation by the two women fighting in the ring. He didn’t even notice the appreciative look Pixis was giving him from his office doorway.

  
Levi didn’t know how long it had been before his movements finally became too sluggish and he ground to a stop. His breathing was heavy, but not completely ragged, Levi wasn’t gasping for air. Levi heard a throaty chuckle behind him and looked over his shoulder to find Pixis once again.

  
“One of these days I’m going to get you in the ring to fight someone.”

  
“No thanks. I’m not here to fight people. Besides, I’m not a professional.” Levi answered without any emotion.

  
“That may be true, but you could’ve been.” Pixis mused.

  
Levi looked at the clock and he realized he’d been here far longer than he’d originally thought. “Whatever. I’ll see you later. I have somewhere to be.” He walked back towards the locker room to gather his things.

  
“Oi! Don’t go disappearing on me for another week!” Pixis called after him. Levi just waved him away.

  
Levi didn’t bother showering in the locker room. He was going back to Hanji’s house and he didn’t have anything to shower with anyway. Levi tossed his gloves into his backpack and quickly exited the gym. He made his way over to Hanji’s car, barely paying any attention to his surroundings. A chill wrapped its way up Levi’s spine and he paused, the car door held halfway open. He slowly turned and looked across the street immediately regretting the action. Levi’s chest clenched in fear as he caught the last glimpse of a head of sandy, blonde hair disappearing down an alley.

  
_No, No, NO!!_ Levi flung himself into Hanji’s car, fumbling with the ignition as his breathing became shallow and erratic. _Calm down, calm down. Fuck!_ Levi mentally cursed, but was able to start the car and whip out of the parking lot in the direction of Hanji’s apartment. Levi continuously checked the sidewalks and streets behind him. He was driving over the legal limit, but couldn’t bring himself to care. He managed to not hit any red lights and found his breath leaving him in a rush when Hanji’s apartment came into view.

  
Levi pulled into the first space available and sprinted into the building. He bypassed the elevator and chose the stairs instead, taking them two at a time. Levi reached Hanji’s landing and burst through the door into the hallway, startling one of their neighbors who was locking their door. Levi couldn’t be bothered by the other man and continued to race down the hallway. He flung Hanji’s door open (it was still blessedly unlocked) and slammed it behind him, startling Hanji who was in the kitchen. Levi collapsed to the floor and finally allowed all of the emotions he’d experienced to catch up with him.

  
“Levi!” Hanji said, running over to him. “Levi what happened?”

  
“I-I-I…” Levi couldn’t even bring himself to speak.

  
“Shhh…it’s okay Levi. You’re safe now. Tell me what happened.” Hanji said gently.

  
“I went to the gym.”

  
“Yes, I got your note. How was it?”

  
“Good…good…” Levi trailed off.

  
“And? Did something else happen?”

  
“As I was leaving, I saw…I saw…Farlan.” Levi wrapped his arms around himself, almost in attempt to hold his body from breaking apart.

  
“Oh, Levi…” Hanji gasped, looking at Levi fondly. “He won’t find you here. Besides…you’ve got a date with Eren tonight. That’s all that matters. Nothing else is important.”

  
“You’re right. I’ve got a date with Eren.” Levi made an attempt at a small smile, but he failed miserably. “I need to shower, I’m filthy.” He said, latching onto any form of normalcy he could find.

  
“Yeah, you do kind of reek.” Hanji said grinning. Levi glared at them. “It’s already noon, so once you’re done we can have lunch and get you ready for tonight.”

  
“I don’t know if I want you cooking me lunch.” Levi said warily.

  
“Aw, come on! My cooking skills aren’t _that_ bad.” Hanji whined.

  
“Nope, not risking it. As soon as I shower, I’m cooking.” Levi finalized.

  
Hanji grinned. “I can never say no to your cooking anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor baby Levi. Honestly, I put him through so much in this fic, it's really almost cruel of me. Oh well!
> 
> Thank you to Chunky_Tree for commenting again last week and a new commenter and reader, meevmar! Welcome to the world of the Lifeguard!AU! I hope that you've enjoyed it so far!
> 
> Next chapter we finally get to the date! It's been a long 15 chapters so far, but there's still more to come. I don't even know how long this is going to be yet. Haven't finished writing it by any means. I'm also pretty sure that the next chapter is the longest I've written so far, so yay for that!
> 
> As always, you can find me on Tumblr as my-one-love-is-music! Feel free to hit me up and talk! Like, literally about anything. We could talk about the eccentricities of toast for all I care.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi finally go on their date!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's that time of the week again! Time for another chapter. And not just any chapter, but the date chapter. I hope you all like it, lord knows it's been coming for a long time now. :)
> 
> School has started up again for me, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep up with weekly updates so we'll see how that goes.
> 
> Thanks for reading and feel free to give me feedback if you enjoyed it, or didn't enjoy it, or have something to say. Anything is appreciated honestly. 
> 
> As always, you can find me on tumblr as my-one-love-is-music!
> 
> ~MOLIM

Levi stepped out of the bathroom, completely refreshed from his shower. He moved over to the kitchen and began scouring Hanji’s cupboards, looking for something he could make a dish with. Levi frowned at Hanji’s poorly stocked kitchen and moved to the refrigerator in hopes that he might have more luck with that. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but with the amount of years that Levi had been cooking, he knew he could make it work. Levi pulled out a package of tofu, along with some green onions, peppers and broccoli. He made quick work of opening the package and let the tofu drain while he worked on cutting the vegetables.

  
Once he’d readied the vegetables, Levi placed the tofu on the cutting board and cut it into fine squares. He set that aside and pulled out a large skillet and some garlic Hoisin sauce that Hanji had hidden away in one of their many cabinets. Levi quickly heated some olive oil in the skillet and tossed in the tofu and veggies. After sautéing them for a bit, Levi doused the meal in Hoisin, successfully completing the Asian dish. Normally, he’d serve the meal with rice, but Hanji’s kitchen being…well…Hanji’s kitchen, there wasn’t any available.

  
“Hanji!” Levi called. “Lunch is ready.”

  
“Ooh!” They exclaimed, popping up out of nowhere. “And what have you made for me today?”

  
“Just a quick tofu stir-fry. Nothing spectacular.” Levi said, moving to pull down some plates.

  
“Oh, Levi.” They huffed. “Everything you make is spectacular.”

  
Levi rolled his eyes and occupied himself with plating the food. “You should consider yourself lucky that you even _had_ everything to make this. You don’t keep a lot of common foods stocked, yet how you manage to have a bottle of Hoisin is beyond me.”

  
“It’s a mystery to me as well, but with some of the hours that I keep at the lab…” They trailed off sheepishly.

  
“Just take your food and eat.” Levi shoved a plate of stir-fry into Hanji’s face and took his own over to the table. Hanji didn’t even wait to sit down before taking their first bite.

  
“My God Levi, this is so _good_!” They moaned, pleased with Levi’s cooking. “I don’t know why you’re taking Eren out to a restaurant when you should just cook for him yourself.”

  
“Maybe one day…” Levi mumbled, entertaining the thought himself.

  
Hanji shoveled the food into their mouth and went back for seconds, and even thirds before Levi had finished his own plate. “You’re going to give yourself a stomach-ache like that.” Levi warned.

  
“I can’t help it, it’s just so amazing!” Hanji said, finishing their third, and last, plate.

  
“Then you can do the dishes since I cooked.”

  
“It’s a fair trade, I’ll take it.” Hanji stood, taking both plates over to the sink. They immediately turned on the tap and filled the sink with warm, soapy water. Levi remained at the table, wondering how else he was going to occupy himself. He had several hours before he even needed to begin getting ready to meet Eren and there wasn’t much to do.

  
Levi left the kitchen as Hanji began humming to themselves. He really had no interest in watching T.V. and he’d already been to the gym. _I suppose I should call Mike and tell him about this afternoon_. Levi pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts while walking towards Hanji’s room to have some privacy. Mike picked up on the third ring.

  
“Officer Zacharius speaking.” The other man answered.

  
“Officer, this is Levi Ackerman.”

  
“What else can I do for you today, Mr. Ackerman?” Mike said cheerily.

  
“This morning I was coming back from the gym and saw Farlan in an alleyway across the street.” The line became incredibly quiet once Levi finished. “Officer Zacharius?”

  
“Where is your gym located?” He said calmly.

  
“It’s Pixis’ gym. 1328 Boulevard Street.”

  
“Thank you for reporting this, Mr. Ackerman. I’m going to get started on this right away. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  
“You too.” Levi said, hanging up. He slid his phone back into his pocket and leaned up against the wall. Things were far too complicated for Levi’s liking and he just hoped that things would get better quickly. Levi walked back to the living room. Hanji had finished the dishes and was scrolling through Netflix looking for something to watch. Levi plopped down next to them.

  
“Hey Levi, let’s watch _Lord of the Rings_.”

  
“Hanji, that movie’s almost three hours long.”

  
Hanji turned to face him. “Yeah and it’ll give us something to focus on before you have to start getting ready for your date.”

  
Levi rolled his eyes. “Whatever, do what you want.”

  
Hanji grinned and got up to put in the DVD. They quickly sat back and got it started. Levi easily sank back into the couch and let his mind go blank as the movie progressed.

  
Before Levi even realized how long it had been, the credits were rolling and Levi had 45 minutes until he needed to pick Eren up for their date. He moved over to where his duffle was placed next to the couch and pulled out a nice pair of black skinny jeans and a fitted blue-gray button down. Levi moved into the bathroom and changed. He looked in the mirror and was satisfied with what he saw, hoping Eren would feel the same way.

  
“Levi! Get your ass out here and go pick up your sexy date.” Hanji yelled.

  
Levi rolled his eyes, but allowed a ghost of a smile to stretch at his lips. He yanked open the bathroom door. “Calm down four-eyes.”

  
Hanji squealed when she saw him. “Oh my god, Levi!” They jumped up, scrutinizing his appearance. “Turn, go on, turn for me.”

  
Levi huffed, but followed her request regardless. He even wiggled his hips a bit for added effect.

  
Hanji smiled. “That’s my man. Now go and get your boy.” They said, handing Levi the car keys.

  
Levi nodded his thanks and walked out of the apartment, feeling more confident than he had in weeks. He doesn’t pass anyone on his way down to the parking lot, but that doesn’t bother him. He enjoys the peace that comes with walking alone, hoping the time will help him to get his thoughts in order before seeing Eren. Levi slides into the front of Hanji’s car easily, starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot into traffic.

  
Before Levi knows it, he’s reached Eren’s apartment. He stops the car and takes a deep breath before stepping out. Levi walks up through the apartment in a fog, not really grasping what he’s doing until he’s knocking on Eren’s door.

  
“Mikasa, stop!” Is all the warning Levi gets before the dark-haired girl is pulling the door open. Her eyes narrow as she looks Levi up and down.

  
“I suppose you’ll do.” She says before moving back into the apartment, leaving Eren in full view.

  
Levi can’t help it as his mouth parts in slight awe at the view in front of him. Eren is dressed in skin-tight, dark-blue jeans and a fitted, emerald green button down. The entire ensemble hugs Eren’s body in the most perfect way. It’s surprising how good Eren is able to look dressed after Levi has seen him in nothing but swim trunks for so long.

  
“Ready?” Levi asks, somehow managing to sound far calmer than he felt inside. Eren bit his lip and looked away, nodding. Levi waited patiently, but Eren didn’t make any move to join him in the hallway. “Eren?” Levi prodded.

  
Eren started and blushed. “R-right.” He walked quickly out of the apartment and Levi followed him down the hallway. “So, where are we going?” Eren asked once they’d reached the stairs.

  
“I told you, it’s a secret. Besides, you’ll find out soon enough.”

  
“But Levi…” Eren pouted.

  
Levi didn’t say anything and continued walking towards the exit. When they reached the car, Levi pulled Eren’s door open for him. Eren smiled and wordlessly climbed into the car. Levi shut the door and walked to the other side to get in. He started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

  
The drive was a short one. Levi felt like he was in a haze. There wasn’t much conversation between the two. Eren fidgeted quite a bit and kept trying to pry their destination out of Levi. (Shockingly, Levi refused to give up the secret.)

  
“Here we are.” Was all the warning Eren got before Levi slowed the car in front of Les Etoilles.

  
“You’ve got to be kidding me. _This_ is where we’re eating?!” Eren asked in disbelief.

  
“You don’t like it?” Levi asked hesitantly.

  
“Don’t like it? It’s not that.” Eren said, turning to Levi. “Do you realize how expensive this restaurant is?”

  
Levi felt relief wash over him. “Of course I do, now let’s go.” Levi stepped out of the car, leaving Eren to scramble after him. Levi threw the car keys to the valet before taking Eren’s hand to lead him into the restaurant. The abrupt action took Eren by surprise, but he was pleased with the contact. The two walked in to a calm atmosphere. The lighting was dimmed, the only source coming from the twinkling string lights and candles topping several tables.

  
“How can I help you this evening?” The hostess asked, snapping Eren out of his observation.

  
“Reservation for Ackerman.” Levi responded coolly.

  
The hostess smiled, obviously familiar with the name. “Right this way, sir.” She picked up two menus and led the pair towards the back of the restaurant where the tables were far more secluded and private. “Here you are.” She said, stepping out of the way of the large booth. It was more space than was needed for the two of them, but no one was complaining. Eren and Levi slid into opposite sides of the booth and received the menus the hostess had brought.

  
“Your server will be with you shortly. Are there any drinks I can start you off with?” She asked politely.

  
“Bring a bottle of tonight’s specialty wine, please.” Levi requested without looking up from the menu.

  
“Certainly.” She said before departing.

  
“Levi…” Eren began. Levi hummed. “You don’t even know what tonight’s wine is. What makes you think you want a bottle?”

  
Levi looked up, evidently surprised by the question. “Simple. I trust the cook.”

  
“I guess that explains it then.” Eren murmured as he opened his menu. And quickly slammed it shut.

  
Levi stared at him. “Something wrong?”

  
“I’m not sure I can afford this.”

  
Levi waved his hand. “Don’t be silly. I offered to take you, I’m going to pay. So order whatever you like.”

  
Eren opened his mouth to protest, but Levi cut him off with a look that said he wouldn’t accept any protests. Eren sighed and opened the menu again, searching for something under thirty dollars. At that point their server finally arrived.

  
“Your wine gentlemen.” He announced, pouring two glasses, and placing the bottle on the table. “Have you two decided?”

  
Levi looked at Eren who seemed to be extremely overwhelmed. “We’ll both start with ratatouille. I’ll have the Steak Diane and the Pavés du Mail for him. We’ll finish with a croquembouche.”

  
“Very good, gentlemen.” The server left, taking their menus, and leaving them in peace.

  
Eren looked at Levi gratefully. “Thanks.”

  
“No problem.” Levi picked up his wineglass and took a taste. He hummed in pleasure, licking his lips.

  
Eren watched the movement with interest. “So how do you know the chef?”

  
“He’s an old friend and even if I didn’t personally know him, I’ve come here enough times to know that his taste is good.”

  
“Oh, so is this where you take all of your dates? Trying to impress me?”

  
Levi smirked. “I usually take important clients here, but is it working?”

  
“Maybe.” Eren said picking up his own wineglass. He raised it at Levi before taking a sip, his eyes immediately lighting up. “This is delicious!”

  
“So you _are_ impressed.”

  
“Don’t get so confidant Levi, our date’s only just begun.” Eren said, returning to his wine.

  
Before Levi could continue, their waiter returned, carrying two steaming plates of Ratatouille. The dishes were set in front of the two men and the waiter left without a word.

  
“Now what’s this?” Eren asked, eyebrow raised.

  
“It’s called Ratatouille. It’s a vegetable stew.”

  
“Fancy vegetable stew?”

  
Levi didn’t bother to answer. He lifted a spoonful of his own stew to his mouth and closed his eyes at the wonderful taste, humming in contentment. Eren watched Levi for a minute before tasting his own plate. Just like with the wine, Eren was surprised at how good it was. The two continued to eat in silence, enjoying their plates.

  
Almost immediately after the two finished eating, their waiter returned, removing their plates and setting down the main course.

  
Eren quirked an eyebrow, looking over at Levi. “You ordered me a dish with French fries?”

  
“No, I ordered you a dish with steak-frites.” Levi said cutting into his steak.

  
“So, French fries?” Eren asked in disbelief.

  
Levi just shook his head smirking. “Don’t look so shocked. I’m not calling you a kid or anything…I thought you’d like it.”

  
Eren giggled, jump-starting Levi’s heart in his chest. He cut into his own steaks and took a bite, groaning. “You’re right, I do like it.” Eren took another bite and groaned again.

  
Levi really hoped that Eren would stop doing that. The noises he was making shot straight to Levi’s groin, which was not what he needed on his first date with Eren. Levi swallowed loudly and turned back to his own food. Levi focused on each cut that he made, carefully bringing the next piece to his mouth. It was only when Eren waved his hand in front of his face that Levi realized the younger man had been trying to get his attention.

  
“What is it, Eren?”

  
“Your phone’s been ringing for about a minute now.”

  
Levi looked down and sure enough, his phone was vibrating against the table. “It’s an unknown number."

  
“Go ahead and answer it, I don’t mind. It could be important.”

  
“Not likely. It can wait honestly. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or call back.”

  
Eren frowned. “Okay.”

  
Levi slid his phone off the table and into his pocket once the vibrating stopped, only to start again a minute later. Levi chose to ignore it. He’d deal with the angry caller later when he wasn't preoccupied with a gorgeous young man.

  
“How’s work going?” Eren asked, finally making conversation.

  
“It’s decent. I’ve got this really important project I’m working on right now with another major company. Everything’s going smoothly so it should wrap up in no time.”

  
Eren perked up. “That’s great, congrats!”

  
“Thanks.” Levi said, startled by Eren’s enthusiasm.

  
“I’ve actually got tomorrow off, which I’m looking forward to. I haven’t had a Sunday off in a while.”

  
“Yeah, the pool’s been pretty busy right?”

  
“Yeah, the weather this week’s been killer, so the pool’s been packed. But it’s been nice. Y’know?” Eren said, beaming.

  
Levi was momentarily lost for words. “Y-yeah.”

  
Their waiter returned to collect their now empty plates and deposited the final dish of the evening. The Croquembouche.

  
Eren stared at the mountain in front of him. “Levi…what’s this?”

  
“It’s called Croquembouche.”

  
“I’m sorry…croak-em-what?”

  
“Croquembouche. It’s caramelized pastry.” Levi responded easily.

  
Eren nodded, not taking his eyes off the dessert.

  
Levi took his fork and deposited a few spheres of pastry on a smaller serving dish. Levi took his first bite, loving the taste of the pastry. “Eren…are you going to eat some?”

  
Eren seemed to snap out of his trance and blushed. “O-oh. Yeah.” He quickly filled his own dish with the round pieces of pastry and took a bite. His eyes lighting up once again at the food.

  
Levi smiled, continuing to eat from his own plate.

  
Regardless of all of the food the two men had already eaten, it didn’t take long for them to finish off the mountain of pastry in front of them. Eren leaned back in his chair with a content sigh. He began to pull out his wallet when he saw their waiter approach, but Levi whipped out his credit card and shoved it in the man’s hands before he could even open his mouth to speak. Looking slightly shocked, the man nodded at Levi and turned around to pay for the dinner.

  
“Thank you.” Eren murmured softly.

  
“You’re welcome. Did you enjoy dinner?” Levi asked, finishing the last of his wine.

  
“Yes, it was delicious.”

  
Levi nodded. Their waiter returned and handed Levi his card and receipt. “Ready?” Levi asked turning to Eren.

  
He nodded and the two of them stood, carefully making their way back through the tables to the exit. Levi placed his hand on the small of Eren’s back guiding him out of the restaurant and to Hanji’s car. Levi opened Eren’s door for him, allowing the younger man to climb in. As Levi walked to his side of the car, he saw movement from across the street. He looked over, but didn’t see anyone there and shrugged it off, climbing into the driver’s side.

  
Levi started the car and pulled out of the parking lot in the direction of Eren’s apartment. The drive was a pleasant one, a comfortable silence enveloping the two. All too soon, Levi was pulling in front of Eren’s building.

  
Eren turned to get out of the car, but paused with his hand on the door handle. He looked back at Levi. “I had a really nice time tonight. Thanks for going out with me.”

  
Levi shifted in his seat. “Yeah. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

  
Eren made to get out of the car, but Levi grabbed his other hand, stopping him. Eren looked down at their hands and bit his lip. Levi leaned over and cupped Eren’s cheek in his other hand, their lips meeting in the middle. Eren ran the fingers of his free hand through Levi’s undercut, making the older man shiver ever so slightly. Reluctantly, the two pulled away.

  
“I’ll text you, yeah?” Eren asked biting his lip again.

  
Levi nodded, letting Eren climb out of the car and head upstairs to his apartment. Levi leaned his head back against the headrest, smiling at how well the evening went. Levi touched his lips once before pulling out of the parking lot and heading back to Hanji’s where an interrogation would be waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering what they ate:
> 
> Steak Diane: a lean cut like filet mignon takes well to sautéing in a little fat, as in this classic preparation with a simple pan sauce that’s laced with brandy and set aflame-a spectacular feat that cooks off the alcohol and contributes rich caramel notes to the dish.
> 
> Pavés du Mail (pan-fried steaks with mustard cream sauce): after frying these steaks, the pan drippings make an excellent base for a cognac-laced mustard cream sauce. Dish served with fries (steak-frites).
> 
> Croquembouche: literally named “crunch in the mouth,” crouquembouche is an edible monument of caramelized pastry.
> 
> I don't know anything about wine so I left that part ambiguous. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope that you all enjoyed it!! It's so great that this dorks finally got out on their date. It's been too long.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi was very pleased with how his date with Eren went. The rest of the week goes smoothly between the two men until something unexpected happens. Really, Levi should be prepared for these things to happen to him, but once again, he's caught completely off guard and not looking forward to what Eren's reaction is going to be. If only Farlan could leave well enough alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I usually do Saturday updates, but hey, a day late is better than months of radio silence. So, here you go. Honestly it was because I was still writing this last night and wasn't able to post it. I also wanted a chance to read through it before posting as well.
> 
> If it pleases you, let me know how I'm doing in the comments. I enjoy the feedback if you don't like things or have strong reactions to other parts of this fic. 
> 
> If you'd like to hit me up on Tumblr it's: my-one-love-is-music
> 
> I'm always happy to talk about anything, flaming pineapples included.
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> ~MOLIM

The smile on Levi’s face from his kiss with Eren stayed in place during the entire drive back to Hanji’s apartment. He couldn’t even force it to go away as each step took him closer to his inevitable interrogation with his best friend. Levi managed to step fully into the apartment and shut the door behind him before Hanji popped up in front of him.

  
“So?” They asked. “How was it? It was fantastic wasn’t it! Oh my _God_ , Levi you’re smiling!” They screeched. “So did you kiss? Huh?”

  
Levi wanted to bite back a retort, but remembering his kiss had him biting his lip and nodding at Hanji who cheered. They pulled him over to the couch and pushed him down, ungracefully joining him a moment later. Hanji didn’t ask any more questions, but was allowing Levi to tell him what happened when he was ready.

  
“It went really well.” He began. “Eren didn’t really know much about the food and he was worried about the prices which was stupid. I mean, I asked him to go so it was obvious that I was going to pay.” Hanji rolled their eyes at that, making Levi huff. “Anyway, I ordered for him and he liked the food. And when I dropped him off at his apartment we…kissed.” Levi finished, ducking his head.

  
Hanji threw their arms around him. “Oh Levi! I’m so happy for you! So I’m assuming that you’re going to see each other again?”

  
Levi gave them a sharp look. “No, I’m only going to be at the pool that he works at every night of the week because I don’t have a car and have to be hauled around between my divorced parents.” He said sarcastically.

  
Hanji swatted his arm. “You know what I mean!”

  
Levi rolled his eyes, but agreed. “Yeah, I think we’ll see each other again.”

  
“Good, I’m so glad!” Hanji said hugging him again.

  
“Fine, fine. Now get off me I’m tired.” Levi wasn’t really tired, but he needed some time to think.

  
Hanji pouted at him. “Fine. I’ll let you off this time because you’ve had a long day, but don’t expect my courtesy to last long.”

  
Levi rolled his eyes and pushed Hanji off the couch eliciting a yelp from them. They got up and brushed themself off before leaving Levi alone in the living room. They shut their bedroom door allowing Levi to sink into the couch cushions and take a deep breath. He pulled out his phone, feeling it vibrate in his pocket.

  
Eren: _Hey :)_

  
Levi bit his lip.

  
Levi: _Hey._

  
Eren: _Have a good evening?_

  
Levi: _Nothing spectacular. I had to have dinner with an insufferable brat. What about you?_

  
Eren: _Sorry to hear that. :) Well, while you were having an awful time at dinner, I was having a wonderful time with this guy I really like._

  
Levi: _Oh, really?_

  
Eren: _Yeah. He took me to a wonderful French restaurant where we shared some lovely company before he drove me home._

  
Levi: _Sounds like a jerk. I don’t know if I’d trust this guy Eren. He might only be trying to get in your bed._

  
Eren: _Hahaha He might come off as a bit of an asshole to some people, but he’s actually very sweet._

  
Levi felt his face flush. He’d definitely never been called sweet before.

  
Levi: _Are you going to see him again?_

  
Eren: _I hope so :)_

  
Levi: _Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself._

  
Eren: _Me too. Thanks._

  
Levi sighed and set his phone down next to him on the couch. He was strangely exhausted, but it was a good form of exhaustion. Levi took a deep breath before heaving himself off of the couch and picking up some sweats from his bag. He moved into the bathroom and changed into his more comfortable clothes for bed. Levi finished by brushing his teeth and moved back out into the living room.

  
He neatly folded his clothes and replaced them in his bag before picking up his phone to set it aside. Levi smiled at the newest text before settling down onto his makeshift bed, allowing sleep to quickly take him.  
  
Eren: _Goodnight, Levi_

* * *

 

  
Sunday wasn’t the busiest day Levi had ever had. He felt extremely well rested and even made it to the gym despite what had happened the day before. There were no further signs of Farlan lurking around and for that, Levi was grateful. He returned to the apartment to find Hanji running around in their kitchen and screaming about how there was nothing for breakfast.

  
“Well maybe if you did a bit more grocery shopping, you wouldn’t be in this situation.” Levi said, turning towards the bathroom.

  
Hanji made a noncommittal sound and proceeded to return to looking through the cabinets frantically.

  
Levi locked himself in the bathroom and enjoyed a much needed shower. The hot water relaxed his muscles greatly and removed the sweat and grime that had accumulated while he was at the gym. After he finished his shower, Levi dressed comfortably in a pair of jeans and a gray tee. He walked out of the bathroom and straight into Hanji’s waiting arms.

  
“Hanji!” Levi shouted, trying to throw off his best friend.

  
“Levi, please go to the grocery store for me, please!” They pleaded.

  
“Go to the…” Levi began. “Go to the store yourself, it’s your apartment!” He finished, prying Hanji’s arms off.

  
“I always get distracted when I go to the grocery store. Please, Levi! Do this for me just this once!”

  
Levi heaved a sigh. “Fine, but you’re paying me back for the cost of the groceries.”

  
Hanji beamed. “Fantastic! Feel free to get whatever you like.”

  
“Yeah, whatever.” Levi muttered as he went to pick up the car keys and leave Hanji to do whatever they were doing.

* * *

 

  
Despite his protests, Levi really didn’t mind going to the grocery. He was able to pick up enough food and ingredients that he knew he would be able to make _something_. He also didn’t skimp out on any cake mix. He wasn’t planning on doing any more baking in the middle of the night, but you never knew what was going to happen.

  
As punishment for having him do the shopping, Levi made Hanji unload the rest of the car while he put things away in the fridge and various cabinets. Hanji didn’t complain too much after forcing the task onto their friend and they provided welcome help.

  
“This is the last of them.” Hanji said upon reentering the apartment.

  
Levi hummed in acknowledgment and continued restocking the kitchen.

  
“Do you want help?” They asked, somewhat awkwardly.

  
Levi gave them a pointed look and raised is eyebrow.

  
“Right.” Hanji said scooting out of the kitchen.

  
Levi rolled his eyes and resumed his task in the kitchen. He was just beginning to consider whether or not to reorganize Hanji’s pantry when his stomach growled. “You hungry four-eyes?” Levi shouted over his shoulder.

  
“Absolutely! What’s for lunch?” They asked, popping up out of nowhere.

  
“Look in the pantry and find something to cook.”

  
“What? You’re not going to cook for me?” They asked, looking hurt.

  
“I’m not your personal chef.”

  
“How about we just order pizza. No, hear me out. I know you just went to the store and stocked up on food, but it’s a Sunday afternoon. Might as well eat pizza and relax before Monday comes along to kill the mood.”

  
“Monday never kills your mood.” Levi huffed.

  
“That’s because I picked a career I actually like.”

  
Levi scowled at them. “Fine, but you’re ordering.”

* * *

 

  
One nicely stocked kitchen later, Hanji and Levi find themselves on the couch watching a decent show for a change.

  
“That penguin guy’s annoying as hell.” Levi grumbled, biting into his third slice of pizza.

  
Hanji hummed. “But you have to admit, to hate a character that much is a real testament to the actor’s ability.”

  
“Fair point.” Levi admitted. The two friends fell back into silence and enjoyed the rest of their Sunday watching Netflix and eating pizza. Levi thought it was nice to just enjoy a day for once. There wasn’t anything, or _anyone_ , to worry about. He just hoped the rest of the week would go smoothly.

* * *

 

  
Things seemed to finally be working out in Levi’s favor for once. His Monday went particularly smoothly. His newest business deal that had a fair bit riding on its success was progressing well and he felt that he could actually breathe for once. Levi was also looking forward to getting to see Eren again after their date on Saturday too. Both men obviously felt that it went well and were hoping for another experience.

  
By the time Erwin arrived to pick up Levi, he was already packed and ready to go, impatient to get to the pool. As soon as Erwin texted him, Levi was out the door and quickly making his way out of the office. He swiftly got into Erwin’s car and the two pulled back out into traffic, getting out of city before it got too bad.

  
The ride was an easy one, the two friends having no problem sitting in silence after so many years of being comfortable in each other’s presence. When Erwin pulled into the pool parking lot and parked his car, Levi took no time in getting out, much to Erwin’s amusement.

  
“Excited today Levi?” He asked, attempting to suppress his smirk.

  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Levi lied.

  
Erwin left it at that, knowing that pestering Levi would only make him irritable. Erwin made his way back to his office, leaving Levi to make himself comfortable, as had become their routine since this whole thing started. Levi sat down at his usual table and pulled out the work that he’d brought with him. Things weren’t exactly slowing down, but Levi didn’t feel so much pressure with the way things were going in the office.

  
Levi was making a valiant effort to focus on his work, but he also couldn’t help looking for his favorite lifeguard. He didn’t see him anywhere nearby, which wasn’t a surprise considering how big the park actually was and the sheer amount of guards that were needed to keep the patrons safe. Levi pulled his eyes away from the pool and shook his head, trying to concentrate on his work since he was at Eren’s work and Eren was, well, working.

  
Every attempt Levi made at dissecting the documents in front of him proved fruitless. Without even realizing it, he ended up staring off into the distance, daydreaming. Levi never daydreamed and it was only when a voice snapped him out of his thoughts that he realized what he’d been doing.

  
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you space out before.” Eren said plopping down across from him with his usual dinner of pizza.

  
Levi looked away embarrassed. “Who said I was spacing out?”

  
Eren laughed, clearly not believing what Levi was saying. “I think it’s cute. You looked so relaxed, like you were thinking of something nice.”

  
Levi smirked. “I was thinking about you.”

  
Eren blushed and looked away, fidgeting in his seat. “Uh-I-Uh…” He trailed off. “Did you have a good Sunday?” Eren mumbled, trying to change topics.

  
“Yeah. I actually got food in Hanji’s kitchen for once. Then we turned around and ordered pizza and watched Netflix the rest of the day. Nothing exciting really.”

  
Eren opened his pizza box and took out one of the slices, taking a generous bite. “What were you watching?”

  
“That one show about Batman. _Gotham_ , I think it’s called.”

  
“Is it any good? It looks interesting to me.” Eren said, taking another bite of pizza.

  
“Yeah, it’s pretty interesting. Even if you’re not into the Batman franchise.”

  
Eren quirked an eyebrow. “Do you not like the Batman movies?”

  
Levi shrugged. “I haven’t seen them, actually.”

  
Eren’s mouth hung open, pizza momentarily forgotten. “How have you not seen the Batman movies?” He asked in disbelief. “We have to remedy this immediately.” Eren resumed eating. Thinking over what had just been revealed to him. “Are you busy this weekend?”

  
Levi stared at him and shook his head, unsure of where this was going.

  
Eren smiled. “Good. You’re coming over and I’m going to help you get with the times.”

  
“Get with the times? I’m not that old, Eren.”

  
Eren smirked. “Could’ve fooled me.”

  
Levi rolled his eyes, trying to seem irritated, but he could never be annoyed with the younger man. “What about you? How was your day off?”

  
Eren picked up another slice of pizza and continued eating before responding. “It was good. As much as I love working here, it was nice to have a day off. I mainly just laid around and relaxed. I actually had the apartment to myself for once.”

  
Levi leaned back in his chair, enjoying listening to Eren speak in between his bites of pizza. As always, Eren’s break ended far too quickly for either of them and Eren was forced to return to work. He hesitated, however, when he stood up to return to the pool. Eren bit his lip, obviously thinking about something and Levi was about to ask him about it when the younger man bent down and kissed Levi on the cheek. Levi just sat there, dumbstruck, as Eren left him to his work.

  
Levi sat there for a few moments, unsure of what to do with himself. If anyone accused him of blushing, he would most certainly deny it, but he couldn’t deny how happy the gesture made him. If Levi thought he wasn’t able to concentrate before, it was nothing compared to how he was feeling now. He was able to force himself to focus for a few minutes, but his eyes seemed to search for Eren’s presence in the park against his will, not that he was complaining.

  
Eren looked so confidant when he was guarding. Levi hadn’t seen him do it much since he usually saw him when he was on break. Levi could tell he was enjoying himself as well, despite Eren’s reassurances that he loved his job. It wasn’t something that a person saw much nowadays in the rush to make money. Actually enjoying work wasn’t as important as it used to be.

  
Somehow, Levi managed to get his work done by the time the park closed. Erwin was unusually busy and the two stayed until closing. The lifeguards had even finished cleaning up and were headed out before Erwin. Levi caught Eren’s eye as he was headed towards the entrance. The younger man was walking with his friends, but said something to them and made a beeline for him, most likely telling them to go on ahead.

  
Levi stood as he approached.

  
“You’re not usually here this late.” Eren said, puzzled.

  
“Yeah, Erwin had a bit more work than usual.” Levi shrugged, there was nothing he could do about it.

  
“Oh.” Eren shifted awkwardly, not entirely sure what to do.

  
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Levi said, offering him an escape.

  
“Yeah.” Eren said, still not moving.

  
Levi reached out and took Eren’s hand, giving it a little squeeze. The other man grinned, obviously pleased with the contact. Levi, acting before he could lose his nerve, tugged on Eren’s hand and pulled the other man closer. Eren looked surprised, but Levi quickly stood on his toes and brought their mouths together in a sweet kiss.

  
Eren’s eyes were wide when Levi pulled away, but his face was soon stretched into the biggest and most blinding grin Levi had ever seen on him. “I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He almost whispered, squeezing Levi’s hand once more before releasing his grip and walking away. Eren glanced several times over his shoulder, biting his lip until he was out the gate and out of Levi’s sight.

  
It was at that moment that Erwin decided to make an appearance. “Ready to go?”

  
Levi shrugged, wordlessly picking up his briefcase and moving towards the front gate, expecting Erwin to follow. Erwin quickly caught up to Levi’s fast pace and the two return to Erwin’s car, easily leaving the pool behind after another day.

* * *

 

  
The rest of the week was incredibly pleasant for Levi. His work continued to go well and he was able to spend some time with Eren every evening. He was looking forward to the weekend when the two of them would be marathoning the Batman movies. Levi was already becoming attached to the younger man and enjoyed every minute of time the two managed to spend together.

  
Over dinner, the two would exchange small touches and sometimes hold hands. They’d even part with a kiss as well since Levi usually wasn’t around when the pool would close and Eren was on his way out. He was pleased with the way things were progressing and hoped that it would continue to move forward in such a pleasant way.

  
He should’ve known that it was too good to last.

  
Friday came like any other day that week. He was up early and hit the gym, getting in a quick workout since him and Eren had decided to hold their movie night that day and he’d be leaving the pool with Eren. He was even nice, or as nice as he could be, at work. That is, until an envelope arrived and was placed on his desk, sending everything to shit.

  
Levi looked at the envelope curiously when Petra set it down. He gave the woman a questioning look and she just shrugged and left. The envelope was a plain manila one that was usually used for sending documents. It was also unmarked aside from Levi’s name on the front in small, blocky letters. Levi carefully cut a slit at the top and pulled out a stack of photos, making his blood run cold.

  
Levi wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this. The pictures were of Eren. The first few from their date at the restaurant, but they didn’t stop there. The others were of Eren going to and from work, smiling with his friends at a bar, and going grocery shopping and smiling to himself. Then there was the note. Levi almost tore it to shreds.

  
This had all been orchestrated by Farlan. And it was a warning. Farlan was telling Levi to stay away from the younger man lest he risk his safety. Levi grit his teeth and did nothing to stop the waves of self-loathing that washed over him. He couldn’t believe that he’d brought Eren into this mess. He told himself that it was a bad idea and now look what was happening. Farlan was threatening Eren’s life for even being in the same room as him.

  
Levi pushed the pictures aside and pulled out his phone. He quickly dialed the number that was, unfortunately, becoming far too familiar for Levi’s tastes. The man in question, picked up on the third ring.

  
“Officer Zacharius speaking.” He answered.

  
“Officer, this is Levi Ackerman.” Levi responded through gritted teeth. “We have a bit of a problem.” He was trying very hard to subdue his angry feelings, but it wasn’t going as well as planned.

  
“Mr. Ackerman. What’s the problem?”

  
Levi took a deep breath. “I just received an envelope from Farlan. The contents of which are several pictures of a man I’ve been seeing and a very explicit note stating that if we didn’t cease contact immediately, then he was going to do something to him.”

  
Mike was silent for a few moments. “I see.” He said slowly. “If it’s all right with you, I’m going to come and pick you up from the office and take you to the station. I need to look over this photos and get some more details.”

  
“Understood.” Levi said.

  
“I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

  
“Right.” Levi said hanging up. He threw his phone on the desk in front of him and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Of course things had to do to shit when everything was starting to work out._ Levi sighed and moved to pack up his briefcase. He stuffed the photos back in the envelope and grabbed the files that would need to be worked on before shutting down his computer and walking out of his office, locking it as he went.

  
Levi told Petra he’d be out of the office for the rest of the day and made it out of the building just as Mike pulled up. Levi wordlessly got into the car and the two headed to the police station, undoubtedly with a long day ahead of them.

* * *

 

  
“No, absolutely not.” Levi said angrily.

  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ackerman, but you don’t really have a say in this.” Mike said gently.

  
“I don’t want to get him involved.”

  
“From the looks of these photos, he’s already involved. And he needs to know what’s going on. He needs _protection_.” Mike emphasized.

  
Levi put his head in his hands. _He’s going to hate me. We’ve only gone on one date and he’s going to hate me._ Levi sighed and looked at Mike. “Okay, but…I’d rather not be here when you do it.”

  
Mike nodded. “I understand, Mr. Ackerman. I can take you anywhere you need to go before I go and request Eren’s presence. You stated that he works at Titan Aquatic Center, correct?”

  
Levi nodded. “If you could take me to Hanji’s apartment that would be greatly appreciated.”

  
“Of course, Mr. Ackerman.” Mike gestured towards the door. “If you’ll follow me.”

  
Levi nodded stiffly and moved out of the room after Mike. He wasn’t looking forward to what was to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, things are starting to get really intense. I'm not quite sure how many chapters are left, but some really big plot events are coming up soon. Also, next chapter is going to be in Eren's lovely point of view as he learns a little bit more of Levi's situation. 
> 
> Thank you to Beware_The_Booty for the lovely one word comment on the last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the date as much as they did!
> 
> Thank you to any new readers as well and I'll (hopefully) see you next week!
> 
> ~MOLIM


	18. Sorry, but this isn't an update

Hi all who are reading or subscribed to this fic!

As of right now, I'm going to pause in my updates of this fic. I'm not abandoning it, from what I can tell anyway, I'm just having a bit of a rough time writing the next part of the story. I'm a little lacking in the motivation department for YCMD and I think I just need a break where I don't have to worry about disappointing people who might be waiting for the next chapter.

I'm hoping that by taking some time away from thinking about and worrying about writing this, I can find my motivation again and eventually continue to put out something that I'm proud of and makes me feel good about my writing. After reflecting a bit on where I currently am in this universe, there's also a possibility that I might revamp this fic entirely by going back and doing some heavy rewrites. I feel my writing has matured a lot over the past couple of months, and especially since I started writing this and I'd like to complete this project with a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. There's just so much potential with this fic and I don't want to half-ass it or disappoint any readers by becoming careless with my output.

If you want to talk to me, I encourage you to do so. You can find me on [tumblr](http://my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com/). I'm really happy to talk about anything.

Thanks for all of your support!

~MOLIM


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